ArticleBMC oral health2026
The relationship between perceived stress and demographic and lifestyle variables among university students reporting bruxism-related behaviors: a cross-sectional analytical study.
Article in BMC oral health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBruxism is a parafunctional behavior frequently associated with psychosocial factors, particularly stress. University students, who are exposed to persistent academic and social demands, may be especially vulnerable to elevated stress levels alongside bruxism-related behaviors. Despite this, limited research has examined how perceived stress interacts with demographic and lifestyle variables among students reporting bruxism-related assessments.
methodsThis cross-sectional analytical study included 101 university students in Turkey who self-reported a previous bruxism-related assessment by a healthcare professional. Data were collected using an online structured questionnaire comprising demographic and lifestyle characteristics and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation analyses were conducted to evaluate associations between perceived stress scores and variables including gender, age, academic year, grade point average (GPA), caffeine consumption, physical activity, and the type of healthcare professional first consulted for bruxism-related complaints.
resultsThe mean perceived stress score was 19.05 (SD = 5.72). Female students reported significantly higher stress levels than male students (p = 0.033, Cohen’s d = 0.58). Perceived stress levels also differed significantly according to the type of healthcare professional consulted, with higher stress scores observed among students who reported consultations with psychiatrists or neurologists for stress- or bruxism-related complaints, compared to those who consulted dentists or general practitioners (p = 0.013, partial η2 = 0.09). No significant associations were identified between perceived stress and age, academic year, GPA, caffeine consumption, or physical activity. The most frequently reported stress-related experiences included feelings of anger, loss of control, and being overwhelmed.
conclusionsPerceived stress among university students reporting bruxism-related behaviors appears to be influenced primarily by gender and patterns of healthcare consultation. These findings support a biopsychosocial perspective in understanding stress-related aspects of bruxism-related behaviors in university populations and highlight the importance of considering gender differences and interdisciplinary care pathways when addressing student well-being.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.