Effects of Online, Asynchronous Education Modules on Migraine Severity and Elimination Diet Use Among Higher Education Students: An Observational, Pilot Feasibility Study.

Background/

Objectives

Migraine is a debilitating neurologic disorder with diet-related triggers. No studies exist on education on migraine in conjunction with an elimination diet as a non-pharmacologic management approach.

Methods

Higher education students who self-reported migraine were enrolled in this observational, pilot feasibility study. At baseline, participants completed questionnaires on demographics, migraine disability, and their understanding of migraine and an elimination diet. After one month of self-paced, asynchronous, online modules, participants were reassessed on their understanding of migraine and an elimination diet. Two months later, participants completed follow-up questionnaires on migraine disability, whether they implemented components of the diet, and any barriers they encountered.

Results

Of 66 students who completed baseline measures, 33 completed the modules and all questionnaires. Of participants who completed the study, 100% found the modules helpful in learning about migraine and an elimination diet; 57.6% incorporated aspects of the elimination diet into their lives. Participants had significant (p < 0.001) increases in knowledge both about migraine and an elimination diet. Participants had a potentially clinically significant decrease (14-point MIDAS drop, p = 0.10) in migraine symptoms after completing the educational intervention, with a greater decrease among participants who implemented the elimination diet.

Conclusions

It is feasible to design and implement an education intervention on diet for higher education students, though loss to follow-up was high in this population. The majority of participants who completed the modules adopted aspects of an elimination diet, indicating its feasibility. Further studies with a larger sample size powered to assess the efficacy of this approach are needed.