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Headache in a national sample of American children: prevalence and comorbidity

Tarannum M Lateef1, Kathleen R Merikangas, Jianping He

  • 1Department of Neurology, Children's National Medical Center and George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C., USA. tlateef@cnmc.org

Journal of Child Neurology
|May 2, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Recurrent headaches affect 17.1% of US children, often co-occurring with conditions like asthma and hay fever. This highlights the significant medical comorbidity associated with frequent childhood headaches.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Neurology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Recurrent headaches are a common pediatric complaint.
  • Understanding their prevalence and associated conditions is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of recurrent headaches in US children.
  • To identify sociodemographic factors and comorbidities associated with childhood headaches.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES).
  • Inclusion of 10,198 participants aged 4 to 18 years.
  • Examination of past 12-month headache history and co-occurring health conditions.

Main Results:

  • 17.1% of children reported frequent or severe headaches, including migraine.
  • Children with headaches had higher rates of asthma, hay fever, and ear infections (41.6% vs. 25.0%).
  • Associated conditions include anemia, overweight, abdominal illnesses, and early menarche.

Conclusions:

  • Recurrent headaches are prevalent in childhood and linked to significant medical comorbidity.
  • Further research is needed to explore underlying biological mechanisms.
  • Identifying homogeneous subgroups is essential for future clinical and genetic studies.

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