Determinants for craniofacial pains in children 6–8 years of age: the PANIC study

Abstract

Objective: Determinants for orofacial pain, headache, morning headache and painful signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) were investigated in prepubertal children.

Material and methods: The participants were a population sample of 439 children aged 6–8 years. Craniofacial pains, eating meals and snacks, sleep bruxism, sleep quality, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), psychological well-being, parental education and household income were assessed by questionnaires filled out by the parents. Sleep duration was assessed using a combined heart rate and movement sensor and clinical signs of TMD and dental occlusion by a dentist. The determinants of pain conditions were analyzed using logistic regression.

Results: Of all 439 children, 26% had experienced orofacial pain and 31% headache during the past 3 months, 17% had suffered morning headache weekly and 13% had painful signs of TMD in a clinical examination. Restless sleep was associated with increased risk of orofacial pain, the painful signs of TMD and restless sleep with increased risk of headache and restless sleep, sleep bruxism and skipping meals with increased risk of morning headache after adjustment for other independent determinants of these pain conditions. Headache was associated with increased risk for painful signs of TMD.

Conclusions: Craniofacial pains are common among prepubertal children. Prepubertal children with sleep bruxism, restless sleep and skipping meals have increased likelihood of craniofacial pains.

Keywords:

• Craniofacial pain
• headache
• orofacial pain
• children
• TMD

Acknowledgements

This work has been financially supported by the Finnish Doctoral Program in Oral Sciences (FINDOS), the Finnish Dental Society Apollonia, the Finnish Pain Society, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland, the Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, the Foundation for Paediatric Research, the Paulo Foundation, the Paavo Nurmi Foundation, the Diabetes Research Foundation, Kuopio University Hospital (EVO funding numbers 5031343 and 5031354) and the Research Committee of the Kuopio University Hospital Catchment Area for the State Research Funding and city of Kuopio.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been financially supported by the Finnish Doctoral Program in Oral Sciences (FINDOS), the Finnish Dental Society Apollonia, the Finnish Pain Society, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland, the Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, the Foundation for Paediatric Research, the Paulo Foundation, the Paavo Nurmi Foundation, the Diabetes Research Foundation, Kuopio University Hospital (EVO funding numbers 5031343 and 5031354) and the Research Committee of the Kuopio University Hospital Catchment Area for the State Research Funding and city of Kuopio.