Occupational Risk for Headache Disorders in Female Registered Nurses. A Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Neurology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Headache disorders (HDs) pose challenges in healthcare settings.
• Preventing HDs among healthcare workers is a global concern.
• Female registered nurses (RNs) in hospitals are a key demographic for HD research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the 1-year prevalence of primary HDs in female RNs.
• To investigate occupational risk factors associated with HDs in this population.
• To identify potential targets for intervention and prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of an occupational medicine database.
• Inclusion of 975 female RNs from a large hospital.
• Diagnosis based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (beta version).

Main Results:

• The 1-year prevalence of any HD was 45.9%.
• Tension-type headache (TTH) was most prevalent (25.6%), followed by migraine (17.5%).
• TTH was associated with age (≥40 years), longer service (≥15 years), and frequent night shifts (>5/month).

Conclusions:

• TTH in female RNs is linked to modifiable individual and organizational factors.
• Interventions in occupational settings can minimize TTH occurrence.
• Preventive measures are recommended to reduce HD incidence among RNs.