Headache Epidemiologic Study in Ansan City, Kyunggi-Do, Korea

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although headaches are one of the most common discomfort worldwide, our understanding of headache distribution is incomplete. Moreover, epidemiologic studies on headache in Korea have not yet gone beyond finding mere prevalence. Therefore, this study not only aims to find the prevalence, subtypes of headache, but also the relationship between headache and such factors as socio-economic variables, demographics, life-styles among randomly selected Korean people. METHODS: In a face-to-face manner, trained personnel interviewed one thousand five subjects. The subtypes of headache included migraine, tension-type headache, mixed headache and unclassified headache. Furthermore, socio-economic features, demographics and life-styles were analyzed in each subgroup with logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of headache was 58.3%. Those with migraine, tension-type headache, and mixed headache were 12.3%, 44.3%, and 5.2%, respectively. Women (odds ratio [OR] 2.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.91-3.30), negative perception about their health (OR 7.16, CI 1.59-32.18), and young age groups (OR 3.32, CI 2.03-5.42, when the group before 30-year-old was compared to the group after 61-year-old) had higher prevalence of headache. In respect of migraine and tension-type headache, women (OR 0.42, CI 0.22-0.78) and positive family history of headache (OR 2.13, CI 3.14-3.66) had more migraine. Migraineurs were more common among women (OR 6.04, CI 3.14-11.61) and young age groups (OR 17.42, CI 4.64-65.46) compared to non headache-sufferers. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the prevalence and epidemiologic characteristics of headache and its subtypes in Korea.