Impact of headache on physical activity levels and dynamic balance among university students
Kiruthika Selvakumar1, Lee Wan Fei1, Deepak Thazhakkattu Vasu1
1Department of Physiotherapy, M Kandiah Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Selangor, Malaysia.
Background And Objective:
Headache disorders are ranked among the top 10 causes of disability worldwide and are notably prevalent within university student populations. This study aimed to (a) assess the prevalence of headaches and their impact among university students, (b) examine the correlation between headaches and dynamic balance, and (c) investigate the correlation between headaches and levels of physical activity.
Methods:
The cross-sectional study was conducted at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and involved 471 participants by using convenience sampling. A digital screening questionnaire was used to obtain demographic data and screen the participants. The Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) and the self-administered short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) Long Last 7 Days were conducted by eligible participants. Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Timed Up and Go Dual Task (TUG-DT; Cognitive and Manual) were assessed to measure dynamic balance.
Results:
A 96.9% response rate was obtained in the study. The prevalence of headaches among university students was 44% (n = 208). Spearman correlation analysis indicated very weak to weak correlations that are not statistically significant between headache severity and physical activity levels (r = 0.064, p > 0.05), or with single-task dynamic balance (r = 0.118, p > 0.05) and manual dual-task balance (r = 0.183, p > 0.05). However, a significant positive correlation was observed between headache severity and cognitive dual-task balance performance (r = 0.292, p < 0.05), indicating that greater headache impact is associated with poorer balance under cognitive dual-task conditions.
Conclusions:
Headache prevalence among university students was 44%, higher in females and younger individuals. While headache severity showed no significant correlation with physical activity or most dynamic balance measures, it was significantly associated with impaired balance under cognitive dual-task conditions, indicating a potential impact on motor-cognitive integration.
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