Frequency and pattern of headache among medical students at Enugu, South East Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE

To ascertain frequency and pattern of primary headaches among young Nigerians as represented by medical students in the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, South East Nigeria.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional descriptive interview-based study using structured headache questionnaire. Consent was obtained and the results interpreted following the guidelines of the International Headache Society.

RESULTS

The one year Frequency of headache of any type was 88.3% (86.7% in males and 90.4% in females). The Frequency for migraine, tension-type headache and chronic daily headache was 18.1% (males 16.3%, females 20.5% with male: female ratio = 1:1.3), 36.8% and 17% respectively.

CONCLUSION

There is a high Frequency of headache of several types--migraine, tension type headache and chronic daily headache--among medical students. Migraine was 1.3 times commoner in females than in males.