Prevalence of headache and headache-related disability in children and adolescents.
10.5124/jkma.2017.60.2.112
- Author:
Young Il RHO
1
Author Information
1. Department of Pediatrics, Chosun University School of Medicine, Gwangju, Korea. ryoung@chosun.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Headache;
Prevalence;
Disability;
Child
- MeSH:
Absenteeism;
Adolescent*;
Child*;
Headache Disorders;
Headache*;
Humans;
Migraine Disorders;
Prevalence*;
Quality of Life;
Risk Factors;
Tension-Type Headache
- From:Journal of the Korean Medical Association
2017;60(2):112-117
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Headache is a frequent neurological symptom in children and adolescents. Recurrent headaches have a significant disabling effect, with consequences including school absenteeism, decreased participation in extracurricular activities, and poor academic performance, and are a risk factor for further chronic headaches and other pain syndromes that merit increased attention. The most common types of primary headache in children and adolescents are migraine and tension-type headache (TTH). In a recent survey of South Korean school students, 29.1% of schoolchildren reported having recurrent headaches. TTH was more frequent than recurrent migraine headaches (13.7% vs. 8.7%), and the frequency of migraine and TTH increased with age. The prevalence rate of TTH in urban areas was higher than in suburban and rural areas. A trend was found for more severe disabilities to occur in older children with headache. Children and adolescents with migraine had the most severe headache-related disabilities. The predictors of headache-related disability were found to be migraine, severe intensity of the headache, frequent headache, and a longer duration of symptoms before presentation. Children and adolescents with recurrent or significant headaches should be diagnosed and treated promptly to reduce headache-related disability and to improve their quality of life.
