title: Period prevalence of self-reported headache in the general population in Germany from 1995-2005 and 2009: results from annual nationwide population-based cross-sectional surveys.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although primary headache is the most frequent neurological disorder and there is some evidence that the prevalence rates have increased in recent years, no long-term data on the annual prevalence of headache are available for Germany. The objective of the study was therefore to obtain long-term data on the period prevalence of headache in the general population in Germany by means of population-based cross-sectional annual surveys (1995-2005 and 2009).
  
  
  METHODS
  These surveys were conducted as face-to-face paper-and-pencil interviews from 1995 through 2004, and from 2005 onwards as computer-aided personal interviews. The reported headaches were self-diagnosed by the interviewees. Per year, approximately 640 trained interviewers interviewed between 10,898 and 12,538 German-speaking individuals aged 14 and older and living in private households in the whole of Germany (response rate: 67.4% and 73.1%, gross samples: 16,026 to 18,176 subjects). A total of more than 146,000 face-to-face interviews were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The one-year headache prevalence remained stable over the entry period, with 58.9% (95%CI 57.7-60.1) to 62.5% (95%CI 61.3-63.7) (p=0.07). Women showed consistently higher prevalence rates than men (females: 67.3 (95%CI 65.7-68.9) to 70.7% (95%CI 69.1-72.3), males: 48.4% (95%CI 46.5-50.3) to 54.3% (95%CI 52.4-56.2)), and both sexes showed a bell-shaped age dependence with peaks in the 30-39 age group. A stable slightly higher prevalence was observed in urban versus rural areas (p<0.0001), and there was also a significant trend towards higher prevalence rates in groups with a monthly household income larger than 3,500 € (p=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall headache prevalence remained stable in Germany in the last 15 years.
authors.affiliation: Deptment Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Klinikum Großhadern, Munich, Germany. Andreas.Straube@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Straube
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aicher
authors.forename: Steffanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Förderreuther
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eggert
authors.forename: Janin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Köppel
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Gunther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haag
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
references.citation: Neurology. 2009 Nov 24;73(21):1796-803
references.pmid: 19933983
references.citation: Headache. 1993 Jan;33(1):29-35
references.pmid: 8436495
references.citation: J Headache Pain. 2010 Apr;11(2):97-104
references.pmid: 20012124
references.citation: Cephalalgia. 1994 Apr;14(2):97-106
references.pmid: 8062362
references.citation: Cephalalgia. 2011 Apr;31(5):585-96
references.pmid: 21123626
references.citation: Cephalalgia. 1992 Aug;12(4):229-37; discussion 186
references.pmid: 1525798
references.citation: Neurology. 2002 Jul 23;59(2):232-7
references.pmid: 12136063
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2003 Jul;112(1 Pt 2):218-32
references.pmid: 12837914
references.citation: Eur J Neurol. 2006 Apr;13(4):333-45
references.pmid: 16643310
references.citation: Neurology. 2002 Mar 26;58(6):885-94
references.pmid: 11914403
references.citation: Neurology. 1996 Jul;47(1):52-9
references.pmid: 8710124
references.citation: Cephalalgia. 2009 Jan;29(1):48-57
references.pmid: 18771491
references.citation: J Headache Pain. 2010 Aug;11(4):289-99
references.pmid: 20473702
references.citation: JAMA. 1998 Feb 4;279(5):381-3
references.pmid: 9459472
references.citation: JAMA. 1992 Jan 1;267(1):64-9
references.pmid: 1727198
references.citation: J Headache Pain. 2008 Dec;9(6):339-47
references.pmid: 18850259
references.citation: Eur J Neurol. 2012 Nov;19(11):1447-54
references.pmid: 22519547
references.citation: Headache. 2001 Jul-Aug;41(7):646-57
references.pmid: 11554952
references.citation: Cephalalgia. 2003 Mar;23(2):129-37
references.pmid: 12603370
references.citation: Cephalalgia. 2007 Mar;27(3):193-210
references.pmid: 17381554
references.citation: Headache. 2001 Sep;41(8):805-12
references.pmid: 11576206
references.citation: Cephalalgia. 2011 Mar;31(4):463-70
references.pmid: 20819843
references.citation: Cephalalgia. 2011 Apr;31(6):696-705
references.pmid: 21220374
references.citation: Can J Neurol Sci. 1992 Aug;19(3):333-9
references.pmid: 1393842
references.citation: Neurology. 2007 Jan 30;68(5):343-9
references.pmid: 17261680
references.citation: Headache. 2004 Jan;44(1):20-8
references.pmid: 14979879
references.citation: Postgrad Med. 2001 Jan;109(1):38-40, 43-5
references.pmid: 11198257
references.citation: Cephalalgia. 1981 Jun;1(2):99-107
references.pmid: 7346178
references.citation: Headache. 2009 Jan;49(1):79-89
references.pmid: 19125877
references.citation: Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2004 Mar 31;116(5-6):176-81
references.pmid: 15088992
references.citation: Cephalalgia. 2000 Dec;20(10):900-6
references.pmid: 11304025
references.citation: Neurology. 2007 Jul 3;69(1):16-25
references.pmid: 17606878
references.citation: Pain. 1999 Oct;83(1):9-16
references.pmid: 10506667
references.citation: Cephalalgia. 2003 May;23(4):280-6
references.pmid: 12716346
references.citation: Cephalalgia. 2004;24 Suppl 1:9-160
references.pmid: 14979299
references.citation: Headache. 1992 May;32(5):223-8
references.pmid: 1628958
references.citation: J Clin Epidemiol. 1995 Feb;48(2):269-80
references.pmid: 7869073
references.citation: Headache. 1991 May;31(5):290-5
references.pmid: 1860786