Association between video game addiction and dental malocclusion in adolescents: A case-control study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64716/qa0m4215Keywords:
Video Games, Behavior, Addictive, Malocclusion, Adolescent, Case-Control StudiesAbstract
Background: Problematic video gaming has been associated with adverse behavioral and health outcomes in adolescents; however, evidence regarding its relationship with clinically assessed dental malocclusion remains limited. Objective: To evaluate the association between video game addiction and dental malocclusion among adolescents from a secondary school in northern Peru. Methods: An observational, analytical, unmatched case-control study was conducted in 216 adolescents aged 12–17 years, comprising 72 cases with Angle Class II or III malocclusion and 144 controls with Angle Class I. Video game addiction was assessed using the seven-item Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents, and malocclusion was determined through a calibrated clinical examination according to Angle’s classification. The association was evaluated using Pearson’s chi-square test and binary logistic regression adjusted for sex, age, and dental attendance. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Video game addiction was identified in 70.8% of participants and was more frequent among cases than controls (83.3% vs 64.6%). A statistically significant association was observed between video game addiction and malocclusion category (χ² = 8.168; p = 0.004). In the multivariable model, video game addiction remained significantly associated with Angle Class II or III malocclusion (p = 0.012), whereas sex (p = 0.969), age (p = 0.303), and dental attendance (p = 0.174) were not significantly associated. Conclusions: Video game addiction was associated with Angle Class II or III malocclusion among the adolescents evaluated. Gaming-related behaviors may therefore be considered during adolescent dental and orthodontic assessment, although the observational design does not establish causality.
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Data Availability Statement
The anonymized dataset underlying the results of this study may be obtained from the corresponding author upon justified academic request and subject to ethical review. Public deposition was not performed because the data involve adolescent participants and could potentially compromise the confidentiality of the participants and the educational institution.
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