Association between children's sleep bruxism with that of their parents/guardians: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The aim of this was to analyze the association between sleep bruxism (SB) in children and their parents/guardians. A systematic review (registered in PROSPERO: CRD42023445486) was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus databases, as well as reference lists and gray literature, up to March 2025. Observational studies assessing SB in children and their parents/guardians were included, with no restrictions on date of publication or language. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist and Newcastle-ottawa (NOS). Meta-analyses, subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, and meta-regression analyses were performed (p<0.05). Certainty of the evidence was also assessed. A total of 7,818 articles were retrieved, of which 15 met the eligibility criteria and were included in the qualitative analysis, while 14 were considered for meta-analysis. The majority exhibited a low RoB (66.7%). Children whose parents or guardians have SB are 3.23 times more likely to exhibit SB compared to those whose parents or guardians do not have SB (95% CI [confidence interval]: 2.41-4.32). In subgroup analyses, significant association was observed between SB in children and their fathers and/or mothers (odds ratio [OR]: 3.78; 95% CI: 2.87-4.97). Additionally, for possible (OR: 2.75; 95% CI: 1.79-4.24) and probable (OR: 3.90; 95% CI: 2.70-5.63) SB, as well as low (OR: 2.50; 95% CI: 1.71-3.65) and high/moderate (OR: 4.78; 95% CI: 3.76-6.08) RoB. The certainty of the evidence was assessed to be very low. There is an association between the occurrence of SB in children and their parents/guardians.