Using Marginal Structural Modeling to Estimate the Cumulative Impact of an Unconditional Tax Credit on Self-Rated Health.

In previous studies, researchers estimated short-term relationships between financial credits and health outcomes using conventional regression analyses, but they did not account for time-varying confounders affected by prior treatment (CAPTs) or the credits' cumulative impacts over time. In this study, we examined the association between total number of years of receiving New Zealand's Family Tax Credit (FTC) and self-rated health (SRH) in 6,900 working-age parents using 7 waves of New Zealand longitudinal data (2002-2009). We conducted conventional linear regression analyses, both unadjusted and adjusted for time-invariant and time-varying confounders measured at baseline, and fitted marginal structural models (MSMs) that more fully adjusted for confounders, including CAPTs. Of all participants, 5.1%-6.8% received the FTC for 1-3 years and 1.8%-3.6% for 4-7 years. In unadjusted and adjusted conventional regression analyses, each additional year of receiving the FTC was associated with 0.033 (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.047, -0.019) and 0.026 (95% CI: -0.041, -0.010) units worse SRH (on a 5-unit scale). In the MSMs, the average causal treatment effect also reflected a small decrease in SRH (unstabilized weights: ß = -0.039 unit, 95% CI: -0.058, -0.020; stabilized weights: ß = -0.031 unit, 95% CI: -0.050, -0.007). Cumulatively receiving the FTC marginally reduced SRH. Conventional regression analyses and MSMs produced similar estimates, suggesting little bias from CAPTs.

Do changes in social and economic factors lead to changes in drinking behavior in young adults? Findings from three waves of a population based panel study.

BACKGROUND: Social and economic measures in early childhood or adolescence appear to be associated with drinking behavior in young adulthood. Yet, there has been little investigation to what extent drinking behavior of young adults changes within young adulthood when they experience changes in social and economic measures in this significant period of their life. METHODS: The impact of changes in living arrangement, education/employment, income, and deprivation on changes in average weekly alcohol units of consumption and frequency of hazardous drinking sessions per month in young adults was investigated. In total, 1,260 respondents of the New Zealand longitudinal Survey of Family, Income and Employment (SoFIE) aged 18-24 years at baseline were included. RESULTS: Young adults who moved from a family household into a single household experienced an increase of 2.32 (95% CI 1.02 to 3.63) standard drinks per week, whereas those young adults who became parents experienced a reduction in both average weekly units of alcohol (ß = -3.84, 95% CI -5.44 to -2.23) and in the frequency of hazardous drinking sessions per month (ß = -1.17, 95% CI -1.76 to -0.57). A one unit increase in individual deprivation in young adulthood was associated with a 0.48 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.86) unit increase in average alcohol consumption and a modest increase in the frequency of hazardous drinking sessions (ß = 0.25, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.39). CONCLUSIONS: This analysis suggests that changes in living arrangement and individual deprivation are associated with changes in young adult's drinking behaviors. Alcohol harm-minimization interventions therefore need to take into account the social and economic context of young people's lives to be effective.

Smoking uptake is associated with increased psychological distress: results of a national longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that smoking is associated with poorer mental health. However, the underlying mechanisms for this remain unclear. We used longitudinal data to assess whether smoking uptake, or failed quit attempts, are associated with increased psychological distress. METHODS: Data were used from Waves 3 (2004/05), 5 (2006/07) and 7 (2008/09) of the longitudinal New Zealand Survey of Family, Income and Employment. Fixed-effects linear regression analyses were performed to model the impact of changes in smoking status and quit status (exposure variables) on changes in psychological distress (Kessler 10 (K10)). RESULTS: After adjusting for time-varying demographic and socioeconomic covariates, smoking uptake was associated with an increase in psychological distress (K10: 0.22, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.43). The associations around quitting and distress were in the expected directions, but were not statistically significant. That is, smokers who successfully quit between waves had no meaningful change in psychological distress (K10: -0.05, 95% CI -0.34 to 0.23), whereas those who tried but failed to quit, experienced an increase in psychological distress (K10: 0.18, 95% CI -0.05 to 0.40). CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide some support for a modest association between smoking uptake and a subsequent increase in psychological distress, but more research is needed before such information is considered for inclusion in public health messages.

Health shocks adversely impact participation in the labour force in a working age population: a longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND: It is well understood that health affects labour force participation (LFP). However, much of the published research has been on older (retiring age) populations and using subjective health measures. This paper aims to assess the impact of an objective measure of 'health shock' (cancer registration or hospitalisation) on LFP in a working age population using longitudinal panel study data and fixed effect regression analyses. METHODS: Seven waves of data from 2002-09 from the longitudinal Survey of Family, Income and Employment (SoFIE) were used, including working aged individuals who consented to have their survey information linked to health records (n=6,780). Fixed effect conditional logistic regression was used to model the impact of health shocks (hospitalisation or cancer registration) in the previous year on labour force participation at date of annual interview. Models were stratified by gender, age group (25-39 years, 40-54 years) and gender by age group. RESULTS: A health shock was associated with a significantly increased risk of subsequent non-participation in the labour force (odds ratio 1.54, 95%CI 1.30-1.82). Although interactions of age, sex and age by sex with health shock were not statistically significant, the association was largest in younger men and women. CONCLUSION: Using an objective measure of health, we have shown that a health shock adversely affects subsequent labour force participation. There are a number of policy and practice implications relating to support for working age people who have hospitalisations.

Cannabis, ischemic stroke, and transient ischemic attack: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is a temporal relationship between cannabis use and stroke in case series and population-based studies. METHODS: Consecutive stroke patients, aged 18 to 55 years, who had urine screens for cannabis were compared with a cohort of control patients admitted to hospital without cardiovascular or neurological diagnoses. RESULTS: One hundred sixty of 218 (73%) ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack patients had urine drug screens (100 men; mean [SD] age, 44.8 [8.7] years). Twenty-five (15.6%) patients had positive cannabis drug screens. These patients were more likely to be men (84% versus 59%; χ2: P=0.016) and tobacco smokers (88% versus 28%; χ2: P<0.001). Control urine samples were obtained from 160 patients matched for age, sex, and ethnicity. Thirteen (8.1%) control participants tested positive for cannabis. In a logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, and ethnicity, cannabis use was associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack (odds ratio, 2.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-5.08). However after adjusting for tobacco use, an association independent of tobacco could not be confirmed (odds ratio, 1.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-3.70). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of an association between a cannabis lifestyle that includes tobacco and ischemic stroke. Further research is required to clarify whether there is an association between cannabis and stroke independent of tobacco. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL: http://www.anzctr.org.au. Unique identifier: ACTRN12610000198022.

Income and individual deprivation as predictors of health over time.

OBJECTIVES: Poverty, often defined as a lack of resources to achieve a living standard that is deemed acceptable by society, may be assessed using level of income or a measure of individual deprivation. However, the relationship between low income and deprivation is complex--for example, not everyone who has low income is deprived (and vice versa). In addition, longitudinal studies show only a small relationship between short-term changes in income and health but an alternative measure of poverty, such as deprivation, may have a stronger association with health over time. We aim to compare low income and individual deprivation as predictors of self-rated health (SRH), using longitudinal survey data, to test the hypothesis that different measures of poverty may have different associations with health. METHODS: We used three waves from the longitudinal Survey of Family, Income and Employment and fixed-effect linear regression models to compare low income (<50% median income at each wave) and deprivation (reporting three or more items from the New Zealand individual deprivation index) as predictors of SRH (coded 1-5; SD 1.1-1.2). We also compared the impact of duration of low income and deprivation on SRH using mixed linear models. RESULTS: In the fixed-effect models, moving into deprivation between waves was associated with a larger decline in SRH compared to moving into low income, which persisted in models including both low income and deprivation. Similar findings were observed for duration of low income and deprivation in mixed models. CONCLUSIONS: Moving into high levels of individual deprivation is a stronger predictor of changes in SRH than moving into low income. When investigating the association of hardship poverty with health, using alternative measures, in addition to income, is advisable.

Tackling 'wicked' health promotion problems: a New Zealand case study.

This paper reports on a complex environmental approach to addressing 'wicked' health promotion problems devised to inform policy for enhancing food security and physical activity among Maori, Pacific and low-income people in New Zealand. This multi-phase research utilized literature reviews, focus groups, stakeholder workshops and key informant interviews. Participants included members of affected communities, policy-makers and academics. Results suggest that food security and physical activity 'emerge' from complex systems. Key areas for intervention include availability of money within households; the cost of food; improvements in urban design and culturally specific physical activity programmes. Seventeen prioritized intervention areas were explored in-depth and recommendations for action identified. These include healthy food subsidies, increasing the statutory minimum wage rate and enhancing open space and connectivity in communities. This approach has moved away from seeking individual solutions to complex social problems. In doing so, it has enabled the mapping of the relevant systems and the identification of a range of interventions while taking account of the views of affected communities and the concerns of policy-makers. The complex environmental approach used in this research provides a method to identify how to intervene in complex systems that may be relevant to other 'wicked' health promotion problems.

Differential loss of participants does not necessarily cause selection bias.

BACKGROUND: Most research is affected by differential participation, where individuals who do not participate have different characteristics to those who do. This is often assumed to induce selection bias. However, selection bias only occurs if the exposure-outcome association differs for participants compared to non-participants. We empirically demonstrate that selection bias does not necessarily occur when participation varies in a study. METHODS: We used data from three waves of the longitudinal Survey of Family, Income and Employment (SoFIE). We examined baseline associations of labour market activity and education with self-rated health using logistic regression in five participation samples: A) the original sample at year one (n=22,260); B) those remaining in the sample (n=18,360); C) those (at year 3) consenting to data linkage (n=14,350); D) drop outs over three years (n=3,895); and E) those who dropped out or did not consent (n=7,905). RESULTS: Loss to follow-up was more likely among lower socioeconomic groups and those with poorer health. However, for labour market activity and education, the odds of reporting fair/poor health were similar across all samples. Comparisons of the mutually exclusive samples (C and E) showed no difference in the odds ratios after adjustment for sociodemographic (participation) variables. Thus, there was little evidence of selection bias. CONCLUSIONS: Differential loss to follow-up (drop out) need not lead to selection bias in the association between exposure (labour market activity and education) and outcome (self-rated health).

The relationship between income and health using longitudinal data from New Zealand.

BACKGROUND: Evidence for a cross-sectional relationship between income and health is strong but is probably biased by substantial confounding. Longitudinal data with repeated income and health measures on the same individuals can be analysed to control completely for time-invariant confounding, giving a more accurate estimate of the impact of short-term changes in income on health. METHODS: 4 years of annual data (2002--2005) from the New Zealand longitudinal Survey of Family, Income and Employment were used to investigate the relationship between annual household income and self-rated health (SRH) using a fixed-effects ordinal logistic regression model. Possible effect modification of the income--SRH relationship by poverty and baseline health was tested with interactions. RESULTS: An increase in income of $10 000 over the past year increased the odds of reporting better SRH by 1% (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.02). Poor baseline health significantly modified the association between income and SRH. A $10 000 increase in income increased the odds of better SRH by 10% for those with two or more chronic conditions. Poverty or deprivation did not modify the income--health association. CONCLUSIONS: The overall small, positive, but statistically non-significant, income--health effect size is consistent with similar analyses from other longitudinal studies. Despite the overwhelming consensus that income matters for health over the medium and long-term, evidence free of time-invariant confounding for the short-run association remains elusive. However, measurement error in income and health has probably biased estimates towards the null.

The association between failed quit attempts and increased levels of psychological distress in smokers in a large New Zealand cohort.

BACKGROUND: Although the association between smoking status and poorer mental health has been well documented, the association between quit status and psychological distress is less clear. The aim of the present study is to investigate the association of smoking status and quit status with psychological distress. METHODS: Data for this study is from a single year of the Survey of Families, Income and Employment (SoFIE) conducted in New Zealand (2004/05) (n = 18,525 respondents). Smoking status and quit status were treated as exposure variables, and psychological distress (Kessler-10) was treated as the outcome variable. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association of smoking with psychological distress in the whole adult population and quit status with psychological distress in the ex- and current-smoking population. RESULTS: Current smokers had higher rates of high and very high psychological distress compared to never smokers (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.24-1.69). Unsuccessful quitters had much higher levels of high to very high levels of psychological distress (16%) than any other group. Moreover, compared to long-term ex-smokers, unsuccessful quitters had a much higher odds of high to very high levels of psychological distress (aOR = 1.73; 95% CI: 1.36-2.21). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the significant association between smoking and psychological distress might be partly explained by increased levels of psychological distress among current smokers who made a quit attempt in the last year. This issue needs further study as it has implications for optimising the design of quitting support.

Effects of childhood socioeconomic position on subjective health and health behaviours in adulthood: how much is mediated by adult socioeconomic position?

BACKGROUND: Adult socioeconomic position (SEP) is one of the most frequently hypothesised indirect pathways between childhood SEP and adult health. However, few studies that explore the indirect associations between childhood SEP and adult health systematically investigate the mediating role of multiple individual measures of adult SEP for different health outcomes. We examine the potential mediating role of individual measures of adult SEP in the associations of childhood SEP with self-rated health, self-reported mental health, current smoking status and binge drinking in adulthood. METHODS: Data came from 10,010 adults aged 25-64 years at Wave 3 of the Survey of Family, Income and Employment in New Zealand. The associations between childhood SEP (assessed using retrospective information on parental occupation) and self-rated health, self-reported psychological distress, current smoking status and binge drinking were determined using logistic regression. Models were adjusted individually for the mediating effects of education, household income, labour market activity and area deprivation. RESULTS: Respondents from a lower childhood SEP had a greater odds of being a current smoker (OR 1.70 95% CI 1.42-2.03), reporting poorer health (OR 1.82 95% CI 1.39-2.38) or higher psychological distress (OR 1.60 95% CI 1.20-2.14) compared to those from a higher childhood SEP. Two-thirds to three quarters of the association of childhood SEP with current smoking (78%), and psychological distress (66%) and over half the association with poor self-rated health (55%) was explained by educational attainment. Other adult socioeconomic measures had much smaller mediating effects. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the association between childhood SEP and self-rated health, psychological distress and current smoking in adulthood is largely explained through an indirect socioeconomic pathway involving education. However, household income, area deprivation and labour market activity are still likely to be important as they are intermediaries in turn, in the socioeconomic pathway between education and health.

The association of food security with psychological distress in New Zealand and any gender differences.

Food security (access to safe, nutritious, affordable food) is intrinsically linked to feelings of stress or distress and it is strongly associated with socioeconomic factors. However, the impact of food insecurity on mental health, independent of confounding socioeconomic factors, is not clear. We investigated the association of food insecurity with psychological distress in New Zealand, controlling for socioeconomic factors. Secondarily, we examined the association in males and females. We used data from the Survey of Families, Income and Employment (SoFIE) (N = 18,955). Respondents were classified as food insecure if, in the last 12 months, they: used special food grants/banks, had to buy cheaper food to pay for other things, or went without fresh fruit and vegetables often. Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler-10 scale dichotomised at low (10-15) and moderate to high (16+). Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association of food insecurity with psychological distress using a staged modelling approach. Interaction models included an interaction between food security and gender, as well as interactions between gender and all other covariates (significant at p-value < 0.1). Models were repeated, stratified by gender. A strong relationship between food insecurity and psychological distress was found (crude odds ratio OR 3.4). Whilst substantially reduced, the association remained after adjusting for confounding demographic and socioeconomic variables (adjusted OR 1.8). In stratified models, food insecure females had slightly higher odds for psychological distress (fully adjusted OR 2.0) than males (fully adjusted OR 1.5). As such, an independent association of food insecurity with psychological distress was found in both males and females--slightly more so in females. However, we cannot rule out residual confounding as an explanation for the independent association and any apparent gender interaction.

What are the determinants of food insecurity in New Zealand and does this differ for males and females?

AIMS: Food insecurity is a lack of assured access to sufficient nutritious food. We aimed to investigate the demographic and socio-economic determinants of food insecurity in New Zealand and whether these determinants vary between males and females. METHODS: We used data from the longitudinal Survey of Families, Income and Employment (SoFIE) (n=18,950). Respondents were classified as food insecure if, in the past 12 months, they had to use special food grants or food banks, been forced to buy cheaper food to pay for other things, or had to go without fresh fruit and vegetables often. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association of demographic and socio-economic factors on food insecurity. Models were repeated stratifying by males and females. RESULTS: More than 15% of the SoFIE population in NZ were food insecure in 2004/05. The prevalence of food insecurity was much greater in females (19%) than males (12%). The adjusted odds of food insecurity was significantly higher in females compared to males (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.5-1.8). In univariate analyses, food insecurity was associated with sole parenthood, unmarried status, younger age groups, Maori and Pacific ethnicity, worse self-rated health status, renting, being unemployed and lower socioeconomic status. Income was the strongest predictor of food insecurity in multivariate modelling (OR 4.9, 95%CI 4.0-5.9 for lowest household income quintile versus highest). The associations of demographic and socioeconomic factors with food insecurity were similar in males and females. CONCLUSIONS: Food insecurity is a timely and relevant issue, as it affects a significant number of New Zealanders. Targeted policy interventions aimed at increasing money available in households are needed.

Trends in survival and life expectancy by ethnicity, income and smoking in New Zealand: 1980s to 2000s.

BACKGROUND: Survival and life expectancy are commonly used metrics to describe population health. There are two objectives to this paper: (1) to provide an explanation of methods and data used to develop New Zealand life-tables by ethnic, income and smoking groups; and (2) to compare cumulative survival and life expectancy trends in these subpopulations. METHOD: We generated sex-specific life-tables for seven subpopulations: ethnicity (Maori and non-Maori); income tertiles; smoking (never and current); and two-way combinations (ethnicity by income; ethnicity by smoking; and smoking by income). This was repeated for five census-mortality cohorts (1981-84, 1986-89, 1991-94, 1996-99, and 2001-04). The method used to create the life-tables brings together three pieces of information: (1) the official Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) life-tables by year and sex; (2) the proportionate distribution of the total population by subpopulation (e.g. smoking prevalence); and (3) estimates of the differences in subpopulation mortality rates (from the New Zealand Census-Mortality Study [NZCMS]). RESULTS: Survival and life expectancy improved in all subpopulations across the five census cohorts. However, improvements were greater in non-Maori compared to Maori and high income compared to low income subpopulations. This led to widening of the gap in life expectancy between 1981 and 2001 between Maori and non-Maori (males), which increased from 5.4 years in 1981 to 9.0 in 2001 and between low income and high income which increased from 4.4 in 1981 to 6.5 in 2001 for males. The gap in life expectancy between current and never smokers in 1996 was 7.6 in males and 6.7 in females. However, the size of this gap varied by ethnicity: 7.3 and 6.2 for non-Maori males and females, and 4.3 and 3.9 for Maori male and females. Correspondingly, the gap in life expectancy between Maori and non-Maori is greater among never smokers (9.7 and 8.4 for males and females) than among current smokers (4.3 and 6.6 for males and females). CONCLUSION: Life-tables have been successfully developed for subpopulations in New Zealand, and provide an alternative understanding of health and life in New Zealand over the past 20 years. Ethnic and income gaps in life expectancy have widened, and perhaps surprising results were found for smoking by ethnicity. These life-tables provide an important basis for subpopulation modelling and projections, and are freely available to researchers.

Improved survival after stroke: is admission to hospital the major explanation? Trend analyses of the Auckland Regional Community Stroke Studies.

BACKGROUND: There is uncertainty regarding the impact of changes in stroke care and natural history of stroke in the community. We examined factors responsible for trends in survival after stroke in a series of population-based studies. METHODS: We used statistical models to assess temporal trends in 28-day and 1-year case fatality after first-ever stroke cases registered in 3 stroke incidence studies undertaken in Auckland, New Zealand, over uniform 12-month calendar periods in 1981-1982 (n = 1,030), 1991-1992 (1,305) and 2001-2002 (1,423). Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the significance of pre-defined 'patient', 'disease' and 'service/care' factors on these trends. RESULTS: Overall, there was a 40% decline in 28-day case fatality after stroke over the study periods, from 32% (95% confidence interval, 29-35%) in 1981-1982 to 23% (21-25%) in 1991-1992 and then 19% (17-21%) in 2002-2003. Similar relative declines were seen in 1-year case fatality. In regression models, the trends were still significant after adjusting for patient and disease factors. However, further adjustment for care factors (higher hospital admission and neuroimaging) explained most of the improvement in survival. CONCLUSIONS: These data show significant downwards trends in case fatality after stroke in Auckland over 20 years, which can largely be attributed to improved stroke care associated with increases in hospital admission and brain imaging during the acute phase of the illness.

Determinants of physical health in frail older people: the importance of self-efficacy.

OBJECTIVE: There is continued uncertainty regarding the strength of association between performance-based and self-report measures of physical functioning, and of their relationship to self-efficacy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study assessed the inter-relationships between such measures, and the predictors of 'physical' aspects of HRQoL in frail older patients. DESIGN: We used statistical models to determine the predictors of 'physical' HRQoL, according to the physical component summary score and the physical functioning domain of the 36-item short form (SF-36) questionnaire. SETTING: Patients were recruited from hospitals in Australia and New Zealand and followed up in their homes. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and forty-three frail older patients. MAIN MEASURES: Physical functioning was assessed using three performance-based measures (Timed Up and Go Test, gait speed and the Berg Balance Scale) and five self-report measures, including the modified falls self-efficacy scale, at three and six months after registration. RESULTS: A moderate association (r = 0.48-0.55) was found between each of the performance-based and self-report measures, including the SF-36 physical component summary score. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the performance-based measures and falls self-efficacy predicted 33% of the SF-36 physical component summary score. Falls self-efficacy was the single highest predictor of both the SF-36 physical component summary score and SF-36 physical functioning domain. A curvilinear relationship was found between the SF-36 physical functioning domain and two variables: falls self-efficacy and the Berg Balance Scale. CONCLUSIONS: Although performance-based and self-report measures provide complementary but distinct measures of physical function, psychosocial factors such as self-efficacy have a strong influence on the HRQoL of frail older people.

Trends in stroke incidence in Auckland, New Zealand, during 1981 to 2003.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Long-term trends in stroke incidence in different populations have not been well characterized, largely as a result of the complexities associated with population-based stroke surveillance. METHODS: We assessed temporal trends in stroke incidence using standard diagnostic criteria and community-wide surveillance procedures in the population (approximately 1 million) of Auckland, New Zealand, over 12-month calendar periods in 1981-1982, 1991-1992, and 2002-2003. Age-adjusted first-ever (incident) and total (attack) rates, and temporal trends, were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Rates were analyzed by sex and major age groups. RESULTS: From 1981 to 1982, stroke rates were stable in 1991-1992 and then declined in 2002-2003, to produce overall modest declines in standardized incidence (11%; 95% CI, 1 to 19%) and attack rates (9%; 95% CI, 0 to 16%) between the first and last study periods. Some favorable downward trends in vascular risk factors such as cigarette smoking were counterbalanced by increasing age and body mass index, and frequency of diabetes, in patients with stroke. CONCLUSIONS: There has been a modest decline in stroke incidence in Auckland over the last 2 decades, mainly during 1991 to 2003, in association with divergent trends in major risk factors.

Migraine and risk of subarachnoid haemorrhage: a population-based case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence exists for an association between migraine and ischaemic stroke, but there is uncertainty about whether migraine is a risk factor for subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). METHODS: A multi-centre, population-based, case-control study using cases of first-ever SAH during 1995-98 and matched controls in four study centres in Australia and New Zealand. Self- or proxy-reported history, frequency and characteristics of headaches, classified according to 1988 International Headache Society diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: 206 of 432 (48%) cases and 236 of 473 (50%) controls had a history of headaches. The frequency and characteristics of headaches were similar between the two groups. No association was found in logistic regression analyses for history or frequency of headaches, or migraine headaches. CONCLUSIONS: No evidence was found for an association between recurrent headaches and SAH. Such information is important for counselling patients and families about the significance of past and ongoing headaches in relation to this illness.