title: An epidemiologic study of headache among adolescents and young adults.
abstract: Despite extensive description of headache among patients in specialty clinics and general practices in the United States, there have been few community-wide investigations. In a population-based telephone interview study of 10,169 Washington County, Maryland, residents who were 12 through 29 years old, 57.1% of males and 76.5% of females reported that their most recent headache occurred within the previous 4 weeks. Four or more headaches in the preceding month were reported by 6.1% of males and 14.0% of females. The average duration of the subjects' most recent headache was 5.9 hours for males and 8.2 hours for females; 7.9% and 13.9%, respectively, missed part of a day or more of school or work because of that headache. Within the month before interview, 3.0% of males and 7.4% of females had suffered from a migraine headache. Consultations with a physician, by specialty, for headache-related problems are described by sex and age of subjects, as is the use of specific prescription and nonprescription medications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Md.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Linet
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Celentano
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sprecher
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D009325:Nausea / Q000209:etiology; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors