Association of Awake Bruxism with Khat, Coffee, Tobacco, and Stress among Jazan University Students

Abstract

Objective. The objective is to assess the prevalence of bruxism among the university students and to check its association with their khat chewing habit. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional descriptive study is designed using cluster random sampling. Pretested questionnaire was administered by a trained interviewer to assess awake bruxism and the use of variables like khat, coffee, tobacco, and stress. Chi-square test at 5% significance was used for assessing the association. Logistic regression was also performed after adjusting for covariates. Results. A high response rate (95%) was obtained as the distribution and collection of questionnaire was within an hour interval. 85% (63%, males; 22%, females) experienced an episode of bruxism at least one time in the past six months. Regression analysis revealed an association of stress (P = 0.00; OR = 5.902, 95% CI 2.614–13.325) and khat use (P = 0.05; OR = 1.629, 95% CI 0.360–7.368) with bruxism. Interestingly, it is observed that the one who chew khat experienced 3.56 times (95% CI; 2.62–11.22) less pain when compared to the nonusers. Conclusion. This study is the first of its kind to assess the association of bruxism with khat chewing. High amount of stress and khat use can be considered as important risk indicators for awake bruxism.

Use of common stimulants and awake bruxism – a survey study

“…In contrast to our results, Quadri et al reported that there was no significant association between awake bruxism and tobacco smoking among university students from Saudi Arabia [29]. Discrepancies in the results may be explained by different compositions of study groups.…”

“…Discrepancies in the results may be explained by different compositions of study groups. The study by Quadri et al comprised more men than women (71% men), while in our study women comprised majority of the participants (73% women) [29]. Women report more intense, more numerous, and more frequent bodily symptoms than men [30].…”

“…It is worth noting that Quadri et al found an association between awake bruxism and psychological stress reported by the participants [29]. Psychological distress, which is positively correlated with the presence of awake bruxism, was not evaluated in our study [18].…”

“…It is interesting that Quadri et al found that awake bruxism was associated with khat (Catha edulis) chewing [29]. Saudi Arabia is among the countries with the highest population of khat chewers, which is rare in Europe [32].…”

Perceived stress and bruxism in university students

“…Even if there is a limited number of studies, a recent review has shown [13] a prevalence ranging from 8 to 31.4%., and the highest prevalence of the above mentioned review was found in the Italian general population [14]; moreover, recent literature has shown levels of bruxism up to 83% in dentistry students [15]. …”