Bruxism and health related quality of life in Southern Italy's prison inmates

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of self-assessed bruxism, the level of Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and their relationship in a group of male inmates. Basic research design, setting: The present study was cross-sectional, its setting was two penal institutions in Italy. Participants: A sample of 280 male prisoners (mean age 39.7 years). Due to the very small number of female prisoners, it was not possible to study both genders. Interventions and main outcome measures: Subjects were administered a questionnaire with items investigating demographic data, self-assessed bruxism and HRQoL using EuroQoL EQ-5D instrument. Results: Bruxism was present in 29.7% of inmates. Results for EQ-5D (in brackets are data for the general population age and gender matched) were: EQ-index 1.3 (0.8), EQ-VAS 62 (80). Percentage reporting a problem for each dimension: Mobility (MO): 7.5 (9.6), Self Care (SC): 6.1 (4.3), Usual Activities (UA): 17.9 (10.1), Pain/discomfort (PD): 43.9 (40.8), Anxiety/depression (AD): 54.6 (31.9). There was a strong correlation between bruxism and EQ-index, showing concordance and dependence and, as expected, discordance and dependence between bruxism and EQ-VAS. Conclusions: Bruxism prevalence is higher and HRQoL is worse in the prison population than in the general population; the presence of bruxism is correlated with lower HRQoL levels, and correlation is stronger for subjects at first prison experience and for higher education levels, thus suggesting higher effect of stress on these subjects.