Hospitalizations by headache disorders in Brazil: Temporal trends, age and sex disparities (2010-2023)
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https://doi.org/10.48208/HeadacheMed.2025.31Keywords:
Primary headaches, Migraine, EpidemiologyAbstract
Introduction
In 2019, migraine affected an estimated 1.1 billion people worldwide. Despite its prevalence, epidemiological trends and demographic disparities in Brazil remain unclear, particularly regarding hospitalizations for migraine and other headache syndromes (MAOHS).
Objectives
To analyze temporal trends in hospitalization rates for MAOHS across different age groups and sexes in Brazil from 2010 to 2023.
Methods
This ecological time-series study (2010-2023) utilized data from the Hospital Information System (ICD-10: G43 and G44) and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Hospitalization rates were calculated per 100,000 inhabitants and analyzed across five age groups and by sex. Python was used for statistical analysis.
Results
During the study period, 120,306 hospitalizations due to MAOHS were recorded. A significant increasing trend was found in total hospitalizations (APC=5%; CI: 2.9–7.2). All age groups showed rising trends (p<0.01), notably the advanced elderly (APC=7.4%; CI: 5.2–9.7). All groups satisfied the normality assumption. ANOVA indicated differences among age groups (p<0.001); Tukey’s post-hoc showed children had significantly lower rates (p<0.001). Both sexes showed a similar APC (~5%) in hospitalization rates. Normality and homogeneity of variances was confirmed. The Student’s t-test revealed a significant difference between sexes (p<0.001; t=6.22), with females exhibiting a higher mean hospitalization rate than males (mean difference=2.45).
Conclusion
MAOHS hospitalizations are increasing in Brazil, especially among elderly and female populations, highlighting the need for targeted healthcare strategies.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Luís Gabriel Sousa Fontenele, Gabriel Stumpf Bastos Amorim, Luís Felipe Porto, Gabriel Henrique Simoni, Raimundo Pereira Silva-Néto (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
