Prevalence and impact of headache in undergraduate students in Southern Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence, characteristics and impact of headache among university students.


METHODS
The criteria established by the International Headache Society were used to define the primary headache subtypes and the Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire (MIDAS), to assess the disability. The students were then grouped into six categories: [1] migraine; [2] probable migraine; [3] tension-type headache; [4] probable tension-type headache; [5] non-classifiable headache; [6] no headache.


RESULTS
Of all undergraduate students interviewed, 74.5% had at least one headache episode in the last three months. Regarding disability, there was a significant difference between the headache types (p<0.0001). In the post-hoc analysis, migraine was the headache type with most reported disability.


CONCLUSIONS
Headache is a highly prevalent condition among the students at the University of Caxias do Sul. This disease may have a major impact on the students' lives and in some cases, ultimately lead to educational failure.
Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil. asdrubalmd@gmail.com
Asdrubal
A
Falavigna
Alisson Roberto
AR
Teles
Maíra Cristina
MC
Velho
Viviane Maria
VM
Vedana
Roberta Castilhos da
RC
Silva
Thaís
T
Mazzocchin
Maira
M
Basso
Gustavo Lisbôa de
GL
Braga
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities