title: Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of migraine and tension-type headache in Korea.
abstract: This is the first population-based epidemiologic study of chronic headache in South Korea. The diagnosis and classification of headache was according to the criteria of the International Headache Society. Sixty-eight percent of the studied population experienced headache during the preceding year. The estimated prevalences were 22.3% for migraine (male 20.2%, female 24.3%) and 16.2% for tension-type headache (male 17.8%, female 14.7%). In migraine, the 15- to 19-year age group showed maximal prevalence in both sexes (male 28.5%, female 34.7%). The prevalence of tension-type headache was highest in the 50- to 59-year age group in men (24.2%) and in the 20- to 29-year age group in women (20.2%). In migraine, headache intensity was more severe in women than in men, but in tension-type headache there was no difference in the severity of headache between the sexes. Phonophobia was the most common associated symptom of migraine (65.1%). In the migraine with aura group, the most common aura was visual disturbance, including scintillation and image distortion (82.3%). Only 24.4% of migraineurs and 12.3% of patients with tension-type headache had ever consulted a doctor for headache. The prevalence of migraine was not lower than in western countries and much higher than in previous studies conducted in other Asian countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Korea.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Y O
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Ahn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000453:epidemiology*