title: Primary headache disorders at a tertiary health facility in Lagos, Nigeria: prevalence and consultation patterns.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary headaches are underdiagnosed and undertreated, with a significant impact on social activities and work.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the last-year prevalence and health care utilization pattern of primary headaches at a tertiary centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out amongst staff of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. 402 staff members were selected by simple random sampling and administered a detailed structured headache assessment questionnaire. Migraine and tension-type headache were diagnosed according to the criteria of the International Headache Society (2004).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants comprised 168 males and 234 females. The mean age was 36.9 ± 7.9 years. The overall headache prevalence was 39.3% with female predominance (P < 0.0001). Tension-type headache was the most prevalent at 72.8% and migraine at 18.9%. Unclassifiable headache constituted 8.2%. Migraine headache showed female preponderance (P = 0.000). 80.4% of participants did not seek medical consultation compared with 19.6% who did (P = 0.000). Of the latter, 83.9% consulted the general practitioner (GP), whilst 16.1% consulted the neurologist.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary headache prevalence is high in our population. It is not recognised as that requiring care by most of the staff of this tertiary health facility; thus education is required to increase health care utilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Lagos State University College of Medicine, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olajumoke
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6290-6866
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oshinaike
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Oluwadamilola
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6461-2653
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ojo
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Njideka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okubadejo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Lagos State University College of Medicine, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olaitan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ojelabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Lagos State University College of Medicine, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Akinola
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D051270:Headache Disorders, Primary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*