title: Use of the headache impact test (HIT-6) in general practice: relationship with quality of life and severity.
abstract: To assess the global impact of episodic headaches in patients consulting general practitioners (GPs) using the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) questionnaire, and to compare this with measures of headache severity and quality of life. A total of 2802 patients consulting 349 GPs participated to this cross-sectional study. Data were collected on headache severity using the Migraine Severity (MIGSEV) scale, headache impact with the HIT-6 and quality of life with the Qualité de Vie et Migraine (QVM) questionnaire. Diagnosis was assigned retrospectively according to the International Headache Society criteria. The association between the HIT-6 scale and the other scales was determined from a Pearson's chi-square test, an analysis of variance and Spearman correlation coefficients. Patients (2537) provided exploitable data. Six percent of the sample had little impact, 14% moderate, 14% substantial and 66% severe impact. The HIT-6 scores were significantly different between diagnostic groups, being highest in the migraine group. The HIT-6 score were well correlated with headache severity and QVM score. The HIT-6 scale correlates, across different diagnostic groups of headache, with both headache severity and with quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Department, University Victor Segalen, INSERM U593, Bordeaux, France. fatima.nachit@noos.fr
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nachit-Ouinekh
authors.forename: J-F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dartigues
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Becg
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chastan
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lemaire
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Hasnaoui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D018450:Disease Progression; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011584:Psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires