title: Lifestyle, quality of life, nutritional status and headache in school-age children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Headache has been described as a factor with significant negative impact on the quality of life of school-aged children with a high risk of developing in chronic and persistent form in adulthood. Among other headache associated triggers or aggravating factors, lifestyle and obesity has been investigated, but results are still conflicting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prevalence of headache in school-aged children and its relationship to anthropometric characteristics, lifestyle, and quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in six schools located in two cities in southern Brazil, involving 750 students aged 7 to 14 years. Information was collected on sociodemographic characteristics, clinical variables (presence of headache and menarche), anthropometric data, lifestyle, and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 185 (24.7%) students reported having headache crises in the last 3 months. Among students aged 10 to 14 years, presence of headache was associated with female sex, affecting 32.2% of girls vs. 23.3% of boys (p = 0.042, chi-square test). Anthropometric parameters (data on overweight/obesity) were consistent with national prevalence rates, and there was no association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and headache. Regarding lifestyle, 2.0% of students reported smoking and 1.6% consuming alcohol occasionally, and neither was associated with headache. Quality of life, especially aspects of social life, appeared to be affected by the presence of headache.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found a high prevalence of headache in school-aged children, which was associated with female students aged 10-14 years and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Research Center. Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Porto Alegre. Rio Grande do Sul. Brazil.
authors.forename: Kamila
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Fernanda C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Rockett
authors.forename: Maira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Billo
authors.forename: Gabriela T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Luciana S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Cristiane S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Parizotti
authors.forename: Alexandre S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Perla
authors.forename: Ingrid D S
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Perry
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life