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Recurrent headache in military-dependent children and the impact of parent deployment
Sandra K Swedean1, Monica V Gonzales, Betty A Zickefoose
1Department of Pediatrics, San Antonio Military Medical Center, 3851 Roger Brooke Drive, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA.
Insights
Recurrent headaches affect 30% of military children. Parental deployment may worsen headache frequency, severity, and duration, particularly in younger females, indicating a need for targeted support.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Military Health
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Recurrent headaches are prevalent in children and can be exacerbated by stress.
- Military-dependent children face unique stressors, notably parental deployment.
- The impact of parental deployment on childhood headaches remains understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of recurrent headaches in military-dependent children.
- To investigate changes in headache characteristics during parental deployment.
- To identify demographic factors associated with headache worsening.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study.
- Involved pediatric and adolescent patients (5-17 years) at a military medical center.
- Assessed headache prevalence and changes over 12 months, correlating with parental deployment status.
Main Results:
- Overall prevalence of recurrent headaches was 30% in the past year.
- Nearly half of children reported worsening headaches (frequency, severity, or duration).
- Parental deployment was associated with increased headache worsening, especially in younger females.
Conclusions:
- Parental deployment represents a significant stressor impacting childhood headaches.
- Younger females may be a vulnerable population requiring specific attention regarding deployment-related stress.
- Further research is warranted to understand and mitigate the effects of deployment on military children's health.
Abstract:
Our objective is to determine the prevalence of recurrent headaches in military-dependent children and to study the changes in headache frequency, severity, and duration during a parental deployment. Recurrent headaches are common in children and are often intensified by stressful life events. Military-dependent children are subjected to unique stressors, most significantly parental wartime deployment. No studies have evaluated the effect of deployment on somatic complaints, to include headaches. We conducted a parental, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study in patients aged 5 to 17 years who were seen in the pediatric or adolescent clinics at a regional military medical center. The overall prevalence of recurrent headaches in the preceding 12 months was 30%. Almost half reported headache worsening in frequency, severity, or duration over the previous 12 months, whether a parent was deployed or not. For children who had experienced parental deployment, younger children and females were affected more often. Younger females had the highest rates of headache worsening. This trend may indicate a more detrimental effect of parental deployment on childhood headache in certain populations.
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