title: The Epidemiology of Exertional Headache in the General Population of Tehran, Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the prevalence and characteristics of primary exertional headache (EH) among the Iranian general population living in Tehran, the capital city of the country.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Headache is the most common complaint and is listed in the top 10 most disabling conditions. Epidemiological researches on headache can demonstrate its actual burden. There are still limited data on EH, especially in Iran and the Middle East.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Persian questionnaire was designed based on the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria of headache disorders (ICHD-II). Face-to-face interviews were performed by 5 trained medical interns on a sample size of 2300 people.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data for a total number of 2076 subjects were enrolled for final analysis. The mean age of the subjects at the time of the study was 36.3 ± 14.6 years. The 1-year prevalence of EH was 7.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.2-8.4%). The prevalence of EH was significantly higher in females compared to males (10.0% vs 5.4%, P < .001). The mean age of the subjects with EH was 32 ± 12.1 years. None of our EH patients received medical consult prior to the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EH seems to be less prevalent among the Iranian population compared to previous studies.
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Behnam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rabiee
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Payam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mohammadinejad
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kordi
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yunesian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D051270:Headache Disorders, Primary / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Iran; Middle East; epidemiology; exertional headache; headache