Epidemiology of headache in the Thai elderly: a study in the Bangkae Home for the Aged

The problem of headache in the elderly, especially in Thailand, has yet to be probed, fully. The prevalence, clinical characteristics and precipitating correlates of headache in this population may be different from other groups. The objective of this study was to examine the epidemiology of headache in a selected subgroup of the elderly, in order to create a foundation for further studies in the general population. The data were gathered by an interviewer-administered questionnaire method. The study population consisted of 241 persons (male:female = 1:5.7). The reported prevalence of headache over a 1-year period was 54.8% (132/241 cases). The prevalence of migraine, episodic tension headache, chronic tension headache and unclassified headache were 2.9, 16.2, 2.1 and 33.6%, respectively. The reported prevalence tended to decline with increasing age. Physical disorders, including pain in the paracranial structures, chest pain and arthralgias, as well as depression, were all significantly associated with the occurence of headache. The prevention and treatment of these aggravating factors should be considered as one strategy for management of this problem.