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Menarche in girls and headache--a longitudinal analysis
Birgit Kröner-Herwig1, Nuria Vath
1Georg-Elias-Müller-Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Göttingen, Germany.
Headache
|June 30, 2009
Summary
Menarche, the onset of menstruation, is linked to a higher risk of recurrent headaches in adolescent girls. However, puberty does not significantly increase headache frequency or migraine risk after menarche.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Epidemiology of Headache
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Puberty is widely believed to influence headache occurrence, particularly in girls, with menarche often cited as a key indicator.
- This study investigates the relationship between menarche and recurrent headaches in adolescent girls.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if menarche predicts recurrent headaches in girls with no prior headache history.
- To assess if headache frequency increases post-menarche and if gender differences emerge.
- To examine the prevalence of migraine-type headaches after menarche.
Main Methods:
- An epidemiological study involving 8800 families with children aged 7-14 years in Germany.
- Three annual postal questionnaire-based panels were conducted.
- Headache data were self-reported by children aged 9+; menarche onset was reported by parents.
Main Results:
- Logistic regression showed an increased risk of recurrent headaches in girls aged 11-16 who experienced menarche.
- Intra-individual longitudinal analyses did not support increased headache frequency post-menarche.
- Gender differences in headache prevalence were observed between girls with menarche and boys.
Conclusions:
- Puberty, specifically menarche, has a marginal and inconsistent influence on headache frequency.
- While menarche is associated with an increased risk of recurrent headaches, it does not significantly alter headache frequency or migraine prevalence post-onset.
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