O'Brien B, Goeree R, Streiner D
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Int J Epidemiol. 1994 Oct;23(5):1020-6. doi: 10.1093/ije/23.5.1020.
The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of migraine headache among Canadian adults (aged > or = 18 years) and analyse variation by age, gender, household income and province of residence.
A population-based survey was undertaken using telephone interviews with 2922 adults who were randomly selected from households across Canada by stratified regional sampling. The questionnaire asked about frequency and characteristics of headaches experienced and other symptoms. The diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society were used to classify people as migraineurs (with or without aura), headachers or non-headachers.
Of 8921 random calls to households, 4235 were eligible and 2922 interviews were successfully completed (response rate 66%). The prevalence of migraineurs, headachers and non-headachers among males was 7.8%, 76.1%, 16.1% and among females was 24.9%, 65.6%, 9.4%. For females prevalence appears to increase with age, peaking at 40-44 years and declining thereafter. Sex-specific prevalence for males and females, controlling for age, was significantly lower in the province of Quebec compared to other provinces. We found no association between migraine prevalence and household income. Of 500 people classified by IHS criteria as migraineurs only 232 (46%) reported any migraine diagnosis by a physician.
We estimate that 2.6 million adult females and 0.8 million adult males in Canada are migraineurs, but only half are likely to have been diagnosed by a physician. Contrary to a recent US survey, people from lower income households in Canada are not at greater risk of migraine. The lower prevalence of migraine in Quebec was unexpected and remains unexplained, but it may be influenced by language/translation problems.
本研究旨在评估加拿大成年人（年龄≥18岁）中偏头痛的患病率，并分析其在年龄、性别、家庭收入和居住省份方面的差异。
采用基于人群的调查，通过分层区域抽样从加拿大各地家庭中随机选取2922名成年人进行电话访谈。问卷询问了头痛发作的频率、特征及其他症状。采用国际头痛协会的诊断标准将人群分为偏头痛患者（有或无先兆）、头痛患者或非头痛患者。
在随机拨打的8921个家庭电话中，4235个符合条件，成功完成2922次访谈（应答率66%）。男性中偏头痛患者、头痛患者和非头痛患者的患病率分别为7.8%、76.1%、16.1%，女性分别为24.9%、65.6%、9.4%。女性患病率似乎随年龄增长而上升，在40 - 44岁达到峰值，此后下降。在控制年龄后，魁北克省男性和女性的特定性别患病率显著低于其他省份。我们发现偏头痛患病率与家庭收入之间无关联。在按照国际头痛协会标准分类为偏头痛患者的500人中，只有232人（46%）报告曾被医生诊断为偏头痛。
我们估计加拿大有260万成年女性和80万成年男性为偏头痛患者，但只有一半可能被医生诊断过。与美国最近的一项调查相反，加拿大低收入家庭的人患偏头痛的风险并不更高。魁北克省偏头痛患病率较低出乎意料且原因不明，但可能受语言/翻译问题影响。
