Headache prevalence and related symptoms, family history, and treatment habits in a representative population of children in Alba, Italy.

BACKGROUND

Headache is a widespread disorder in children, but little is known about the headache prevalence in northwest Italy, on less frequent migraine equivalents, family history, and treatment habits in children.

METHOD

This is an epidemiologic population-based study of a representative sample of children aged 3 to 11 years, conducted in Alba, Italy. We used a self-administered questionnaire to acquire information on gender, age, headache, possible migraine equivalents, family history for various diseases, and treatment habits.

RESULTS

We distributed the questionnaire to 1152 children, and a total of 649 questionnaires were successfully completed. In the preschool age, 10.3% (seven boys and nine girls) of children suffered from headache. In school-age children, the prevalence of headache was 31.4% (75 boys and 80 girls; 27% in 6 year olds and 41% at age 9 years). We found a significant correlation between headache and abdominal pain in the entire sample and with cyclic vomiting syndrome and dizziness in school-age children only. Headache correlated significantly with a family history of headache, thyroid diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and vascular diseases. Headache was treated with drugs, primarily paracetamol, in 60 of the 171 (35%) children who reported headache and in 61% of the children with migraine; no subjects were treated with triptans.

CONCLUSIONS

Headache is widespread in children, with a high prevalence of associated symptoms and family history for many other headache-related disorders.