title: Migraine among medical students in Kuwait University.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical students routinely have triggers, notably stress and irregular sleep, which are typically associated with migraine. We hypothesized that they may be at higher risk to manifest migraine. We aimed to determine the prevalence of migraine among medical students in Kuwait University.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study. Participants who had two or more headaches in the last 3 months were subjected to two preliminary questions and participants with at least one positive response were asked to perform the validated Identification of Migraine (ID Migraine™) test. Frequency of headache per month and its severity were also reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Migraine headache was suggested in 27.9% subjects based on ID-Migraine™. Migraine prevalence (35.5% and 44%, versus 31.1%, 25%, 21.1%, 14.8%, 26.5%, p < 0.000), frequency (5.55 + 1.34 and 7.23 + 1.27, versus 3.77 ± 0.99, 2.88 ± 0.85, 3.07 ± 0.96, 2.75 ± 0.75, 4.06 ± 1.66, p < 0.000); and severity of headache (59.1% and 68.2%, versus 28.3%,8.3%, 6.7%,16.7%, p < 0.000; were significantly increased among students in the last 2 years compared to first five years of their study. Stress 43 (24.9%), irregular sleep 36 (20.8%), and substantial reading tasks 32 (18.5%), were the most common triggering factors cited by the students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of migraine is higher among medical students in Kuwait University compared to other published studies. The migraine prevalence, frequency and headache severity, all increased in the final two years of education.
authors.forename: Jasem Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Al-Hashel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ibn Sina Hospital, P,O, Box 25427, Safat 13115, Kuwait City, Kuwait. samerelshayb@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Samar Farouk
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Raed
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alroughani
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Goadsby
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult