title: Prevalence and disability of headache among Norwegian adolescents: A cross-sectional school-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Headache is common in adolescents and affects schoolwork and relations with friends and family. In most previous epidemiological surveys, only the most bothersome headache has been documented. The aim was to determine headache prevalence not only taking into account the most bothersome headache, but also to compare characteristics of the most bothersome and less bothersome headaches, and to investigate headache-related disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted in which 493 representative adolescents aged 12-18 years were recruited by stratified cluster sampling and interviewed. Headache diagnosis was made according to the new classification system of the International Headache Society (ICHD-3 beta), and the Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment (PedMIDAS) was used to evaluate disability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The one-year prevalence of any headache type, definite migraine, probable migraine and tension-type headache was 88%, 23%, 13% and 58%, respectively. The point prevalence of any headache was 38%. Nine percent of participants fulfilled criteria for more than one headache diagnosis. The most bothersome headache had a significantly longer duration (p < 0.001) and higher intensity (p < 0.001) than the less bothersome headache, but similar frequency (p = 0.86). Adolescents with headaches lost up to nine days of activity each year, implicating headache as a major health issue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Headaches are very common and disabling among adolescents. The full extent of this health problem is better appreciated if inquiry is not limited to the most bothersome subtypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway Anne-Berit.Krogh@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Anne-Berit
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Krogh
authors.affiliation: Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Central Norway, Norway National Competence Centre for Complex Symptom Disorders. St Olav's University Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway Norwegian Advisory Unit on Headaches, St Olav's University Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: Mattias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linde
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Adolescents; PedMIDAS; headache; migraine; prevalence; tension-type headache