Experiences, beliefs, and sociocultural factors of temporomandibular disorders: Brazilian and Spanish perspectives. A qualitative study.

• Grant number: 24/07528-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: October 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Débora Bevilaqua Grossi
• Grantee: Luana Maria Ramos Mendes
• Supervisor: Lidiane Lima Florencio
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Campus De Alcorcón, Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/03475-1 - Success predictive factors of a multimodal treatment consisting of manual therapy, therapeutic exercises and pain education in individuals with temporomandibular disorders, BP.DR

Abstract

Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) is the main cause of non-dental pain in the orofacial region, which is often related to physical and functional limitations of the orofacial system and psychological components that have a great negative impact, affecting activities of daily living and even work, leading to constraints on quality of life. The cultural differences and similarities in the experiences of these individuals have not yet been investigated. The study's objective will be to describe and compare the experiences, beliefs, and sociocultural factors of Brazilian and Spanish individuals with TMD and their perceptions and understanding of the dysfunction. Volunteers will be recruited through intentional sampling until data saturation. Individuals between 18 and 40 years old of both genders will be included and diagnosed with TMD according to the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD). A questionnaire will be filled out with sociodemographic data, and then the volunteers will undergo an in-depth interview lasting between 30 and 60 minutes. Recorded interviews will guarantee anonymity and be stored and transcribed into literal text that will be double-checked. This processed data will be analyzed via thematic analysis. With the analysis, we hope to obtain a broad and reflective vision to understand cultural differences and similarities. Such results can help to know how different cultures perceive and live with their pain, making suggestions for better treatment strategies, access to health services and coping with the dysfunction possible.