Prevalence and risk factors of migraine headache among university students: A cross-sectional study in Lebanon
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48208/HeadacheMed.2022.23Keywords:
Migraine, Headache, University students, Prevalence, Risk factorsAbstract
Background
Migraine constitutes a major public health concern since it negatively affects both the quality of life and the productivity of patients. Migraine among students can cause impaired academic performance and limit their daily activities.
Objective
This study aims to assess the prevalence of migraine among university students using the ID Migraine screening tool and to evaluate risk factors associated with migraine.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was performed over a period of six months targeting 1144 university students recruited from the different faculties.
Results
Migraine was suggested in 35.8% of subjects based on ID-Migraine. Migraine prevalence was significantly higher among women (42% versus 23.3% of men). After adjusting for covariates, women, daily coffee consumption, having unorganized meals, eating fast food and fasting were the main predictors of migraine. Almost 41% of migraine students had a family history of migraine and only 26.7% sought medical help. Interestingly, most of the migraine students (84.8%) took headache medications without referring them to their doctor.
Conclusion
Recognizing headache risk factors among migraine students and adopting lifestyle changes accordingly can be an effective strategy to prevent the chronification of the attacks, decrease headache frequency and improve patients’ quality of life.
Downloads
References
Magnavita N. Headache in the Workplace: Analysis of Factors Influencing Headaches in Terms of Productivity and Health. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022;19(6):Doi:10.3390/ijerph19063712 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063712
Goadsby PJ, Lantéri-Minet M, Michel MC, Peres M, Shibata M, Straube A, . . . Hitier S. 21st century headache: mapping new territory. J Headache Pain 2021;22(1):19 Doi:10.1186/s10194-021-01233-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-021-01233-7
Caponnetto V, Deodato M, Robotti M, Koutsokera M, Pozzilli V, Galati C, . . . Raggi A. Comorbidities of primary headache disorders: a literature review with meta-analysis. J Headache Pain 2021;22(1):71 Doi:10.1186/s10194-021-01281-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-021-01281-z
Sarıcam G. Relationship between migraine headache and hematological parameters. Acta Neurol Belg 2021;121(4):899-905 Doi:10.1007/s13760-020-01362-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-020-01362-x
Klein A and Schankin CJ. Visual snow syndrome, the spectrum of perceptual disorders, and migraine as a common risk factor: A narrative review. Headache 2021;61(9):1306-1313 Doi:10.1111/head.14213 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/head.14213
Carvalho GF, Mehnert J, Basedau H, Luedtke K and May A. Brain Processing of Visual Self-Motion Stimuli in Patients With Migraine: An fMRI Study. Neurology 2021;97(10):e996-e1006 Doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000012443 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000012443
Papetti L, Moavero R, Ferilli MAN, Sforza G, Tarantino S, Ursitti F, . . . Valeriani M. Truths and Myths in Pediatric Migraine and Nutrition. Nutrients 2021;13(8):Doi:10.3390/nu13082714 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082714
Xie YJ, Lin M, Wong YT, Yan L, Zhang D and Gao Y. Migraine Attacks and Relevant Trigger Factors in Undergraduate Nursing Students in Hong Kong: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Pain Res 2022;15:701-713 Doi:10.2147/jpr.S337465 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S337465
Lee W, Min IK, Yang KI, Kim D, Yun CH and Chu MK. Classifying migraine subtypes and their characteristics by latent class analysis using data of a nation-wide population-based study. Sci Rep 2021;11(1):21595 Doi:10.1038/s41598-021-01107-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01107-7
Classification and diagnostic criteria for headache disorders, cranial neuralgias and facial pain. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society. Cephalalgia 1988;8 Suppl 7:1-96
Lipton RB, Bigal ME, Diamond M, Freitag F, Reed ML and Stewart WF. Migraine prevalence, disease burden, and the need for preventive therapy. Neurology 2007;68(5):343-349 Doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000252808.97649.21 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000252808.97649.21
Bamalan BA, Khojah AB, Alkhateeb LM, Gasm IS, Alahmari AA, Alafari SA, . . . Yaghmour KA. Prevalence of migraine among the general population, and its effect on the quality of life in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J 2021;42(10):1103-1108 Doi:10.15537/smj.2021.42.10.20210575 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15537/smj.2021.42.10.20210575
Yin JH, Lin YK, Yang CP, Liang CS, Lee JT, Lee MS, . . . Yang FC. Prevalence and association of lifestyle and medical-, psychiatric-, and pain-related comorbidities in patients with migraine: A cross-sectional study. Headache 2021;61(5):715-726 Doi:10.1111/head.14106 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/head.14106
Anwar F, Bilal Sheikh A, Taher T, Iqbal Khan M, Masoom A, Khursheed A, . . . Fatima K. Prevalence and predictors of migraine among medical students in Karachi. Ilam-University-of-Medical-Sciences 2021;8(1):19-27
Oraby MI, Soliman RH, Mahmoud MA, Elfar E and Abd ElMonem NA. Migraine prevalence, clinical characteristics, and health care-seeking practice in a sample of medical students in Egypt. The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery 2021;57(1):26 Doi:10.1186/s41983-021-00282-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-021-00282-8
Chahine S, Wanna S and Salameh P. Migraine attacks among Lebanese university medical students: A cross sectional study on prevalence and correlations. J Clin Neurosci 2022;100:1-6 Doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2022.03.039 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2022.03.039
Rafi A, Shahriar T, Arafat Y, Karmaker A, Chowdhury SK, Jahangir B, . . . Hossain MG. Prevalence of Migraine and its associated factors among medical students of Bangladesh: A cross sectional study. medRxiv 2021;2021.2009.2004.21263129 Doi:10.1101/2021.09.04.21263129 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.04.21263129
Chaudhary A. Migraine Associated with Menstruation An Overlooked Trigger. JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc 2021;59(238):611-613 Doi:10.31729/jnma.6332 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.6332
Al-Hashel JY, Ahmed SF, Alroughani R and Goadsby PJ. Migraine among medical students in Kuwait University. J Headache Pain 2014;15(1):26 Doi:10.1186/1129-2377-15-26 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1129-2377-15-26
Autier P, Boniol M and Doré JF. Sunscreen use and increased duration of intentional sun exposure: still a burning issue. Int J Cancer 2007;121(1):1-5 Doi:10.1002/ijc.22745 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.22745
Burstein R, Yarnitsky D, Goor-Aryeh I, Ransil BJ and Bajwa ZH. An association between migraine and cutaneous allodynia. Ann Neurol 2000;47(5):614-624 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/1531-8249(200005)47:5<614::AID-ANA9>3.0.CO;2-N
Aleyeidi NA, Alqahtani RS, Alotaibi HF, Alotaibi AH, Alotaibi KM and Alnofiey RM. Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Quarantine on the Severity of Headache, Migraine, and Stress in Saudi Arabia. J Pain Res 2021;14:3827-3835 Doi:10.2147/jpr.S332886 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S332886
Tfelt-Hansen P, Pascual J, Ramadan N, Dahlöf C, D'Amico D, Diener HC, . . . Schwedt T. Guidelines for controlled trials of drugs in migraine: third edition. A guide for investigators. Cephalalgia 2012;32(1):6-38 Doi:10.1177/0333102411417901 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102411417901
University Lebanese. LU in numbers [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ul.edu.lb/lu/numbers.aspx.
Brusa P, Allais G, Scarinzi C, Baratta F, Parente M, Rolando S, . . . Bussone G. Self-medication for migraine: A nationwide cross-sectional study in Italy. PLoS One 2019;14(1):e0211191 Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0211191 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211191
El-Metwally A, Toivola P, AlAhmary K, Bahkali S, AlKhathaami A, Al Ammar SA, . . . Almustanyir S. The Epidemiology of Migraine Headache in Arab Countries: A Systematic Review. ScientificWorldJournal 2020;2020:4790254 Doi:10.1155/2020/4790254 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4790254
Garah M, Neyaz H, Shaqrun F, Alhussaini K, Hafiz B, Alrehaili M, . . . Alhejaili M. Prevalence of migraine among female students ai Taibah University. International Journal of Advanced Research 2016;4:1526-1534 Doi:10.21474/IJAR01/995 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/995
Some NE, Lompo DL, Bertrand M, Kabore RMP, Kouanda M, Napon C, . . . Kabore J. Risk factors and treatment for migraine in adults in Ouagadougou: A cross-sectional survey. J Pub Health
Epidemiol 2021;13(4):282-287 Doi:10.5897/JPHE2021.1347
Nowaczewska M, Wiciński M and Kaźmierczak W. The Ambiguous Role of Caffeine in Migraine Headache: From Trigger to Treatment. Nutrients 2020;12(8):Doi:10.3390/nu12082259 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082259
Nazari F, Safavi M and Mahmudi M. Migraine and its relation with lifestyle in women. Pain Pract 2010;10(3):228-234 Doi:10.1111/j.1533-2500.2009.00343.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-2500.2009.00343.x
Finkel AG, Yerry JA and Mann JD. Dietary considerations in migraine management: does a consistent diet improve migraine? Curr Pain Headache Rep 2013;17(11):373 Doi:10.1007/s11916-013-0373-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-013-0373-4
Goadsby PJ and Evers S. International Classification of Headache Disorders - ICHD-4 alpha. Cephalalgia 2020;40(9):887-888 Doi:10.1177/0333102420919098 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102420919098
Pelzer N, Louter MA, van Zwet EW, Nyholt DR, Ferrari MD, van den Maagdenberg AM, . . . Terwindt GM. Linking migraine frequency with family history of migraine. Cephalalgia 2019;39(2):229-236 Doi:10.1177/0333102418783295 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102418783295
Nascimento TD, DosSantos MF, Danciu T, DeBoer M, van Holsbeeck H, Lucas SR, . . . DaSilva AF. Real-time sharing and expression of migraine headache suffering on Twitter: a cross-sectional infodemiology study. J Med Internet Res 2014;16(4):e96 Doi:10.2196/jmir.3265 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3265
Hsu YW, Liang CS, Lee JT, Chu HT, Lee MS, Tsai CL, . . . Yang FC. Associations between migraine occurrence and the effect of aura, age at onset, family history, and sex: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One 2020;15(2):e0228284 Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0228284 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228284
Hatem G, Ismaiil L, Awada S, Ghanem D, Assi RB and Goossens M. Evaluation of pharmacists' Preferences and Barriers to Access Continuing Education: A Cross-Sectional Study in Lebanon. Eval Health Prof 2022;1632787221126500 Doi:10.1177/01632787221126500 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/01632787221126500
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Georges Hatem, Reva Mosleh, Mathijs Goossens, Dalia Khachman, Amal Al-Hajje, Sanaa Awada
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
