ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Migraine imposes significant burden on patients, their families and health care systems. In this study, we compared episodic to chronic migraine sufferers to determine if migraine status predicted headache-related disability, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and health care resource utilization. METHODS: A Web-based survey was administered to panelists from nine countries. Participants were classified as having chronic migraine (CM), episodic migraine (EM) or neither using a validated questionnaire. Data collected and then analyzed included sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, Migraine Disability Assessment, Migraine-Specific Quality of Life v2.1, Patient Health Questionnaire and health care resource utilization. FINDINGS: Of the respondents, 5.7% had CM and 94.3% had EM, with CM patients reporting significantly more severe disability, lower HRQoL, higher levels of anxiety and depression and greater health care resource utilization compared to those with EM. INTERPRETATION: These results provide evidence that will enhance our understanding of the factors driving health care costs and will contribute to development of cost-effective health care strategies.
Subject(s)
Cost of Illness , Disability Evaluation , Migraine Disorders/epidemiology , Quality of Life , Adult , Chronic Disease , Cross-Sectional Studies , Data Collection , Female , Health Resources/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Male , Migraine Disorders/psychology , Online SystemsABSTRACT
This article describes data from 4,111 males and 4,085 females participating in 10 HIV/AIDS service demonstration projects. The sample was diverse in age, gender, ethnicity, HIV status, and risk for HIV transmission. Logistic regression was used to determine the attributes that best predict substance abuse. Males who were younger; HIV positive; homeless; involved in the criminal justice system; had a sexually transmitted disease (STD); engaged in survival sex; and participated in risky sex with men, women, and drug injectors were most likely to have a substance abuse history. For females, the same predictors were significant, with the exception of having an STD. Odds ratios as high as 6 to 1 were associated with the predictors. Information about sexual and other risk factors also was highly predictive of substance abuse issues among youth.
