Prevalence and management of headache in a selected area of Southern Santa Catarina.
Headache is a worldwide health problem which affects quality of life.


OBJECTIVE
To identify the prevalence and management of headache and examine its impact.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study with 240 participants was performed to collect data related to (a) headache occurrence, (b) its impact through the "Migraine Disability Assessment Test" (Midas), and (c) headache management.


RESULTS
Last year prevalence (2008) was 64.6%. There was a low Midas score in 80.6% of cases. With regard to headache management, 86.4% of respondents said that they use medicines, mainly analgesics (73.9%). Prescribed medicines were used in 31.0% of cases, although 72.4% of those were old prescriptions. Headache was associated with gender (p=0.0002), occupation (p=0.0109) and mean age (p=0.0083), while the Midas score was associated with pain intensity (p=0.0069) and the use of drugs only during headache crisis (p=0.0464).


CONCLUSIONS
There was a high prevalence of headaches and a low level of disability among the population studied, being the management based on self-medication.
Corrêa
Taís Dos Santos
Tdos S
University of Southern Santa Catarina, Tubarão, SC, Brazil.
Santos
Kelly Miranda dos
KM
Galato
Dayani
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult