Headache and associations with lifestyle among pupils in senior level elementary school.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of headache and its association with lifestyle among schoolchildren and to test an intervention programme.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey of all pupils in the school who were asked to complete a questionnaire about headache and lifestyle factors.


METHODS
School health care at an elementary school in Sweden.


METHODS
All 344 pupils aged 13-16 years, 170 girls and 174 boys, at senior level answered the questionnaire and were included in the study.


METHODS
Headache occurring at least once a week.


RESULTS
Twenty-two percent had headache at least once a week. The problem was more common among girls than among boys; OR 1.6 (95%CI 1.3-2.1). In girls, headache was associated with smoking; OR 6.6 (CI 1.2-35.5), going to bed later than 11 p.m.; OR 4.4 (CI 1.1-18.0), headache in parents; OR 2.0 (CI 1.0-4.2), and few sports activities; OR 3.0 (CI 1.2-7.5). The only corresponding association in boys was with smoking; OR 12.0 (CI 1.5-101). Headache improved in pupils participating in the programme.


CONCLUSIONS
Headache is a common health problem in schoolchildren of both sexes at senior level and shows strong associations with lifestyle factors in girls. Intervention seems to be efficient.
Leonardsson-Hellgren
M
M
Hentorp Health Care Centre, Skövde, Sweden. margareta.leonardsson-hellgren@vgregion.se
Gustavsson
U M
UM
Lindblad
U
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology