Primary Headache in Children: Clinical Characteristics and Impact on School Functioning in a Low-Resource Country

Amal Abu Libdeh1, Lara Alsubehat2, Nada Tabbalat2

  • 1The University of Jordan, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Jordan, Amman.

Neuropediatrics
|July 8, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric primary headaches significantly impact school functioning in Jordan. Educational and family factors, not headache type, are key predictors of impairment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Public Health
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Primary headaches are common in children, affecting daily life.
  • Limited data exists on pediatric primary headaches in Jordan, especially concerning school impact.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate clinical features of pediatric primary headaches in central Jordan.
  • To determine the association between these headaches and school functioning.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 147 children (5-18 years) with primary headaches.
  • Utilized a culturally adapted questionnaire with the Arabic PedsQL 4.0 school-functioning scale.
  • Statistical analyses identified factors linked to impaired school functioning.

Main Results:

  • Migraine (60.5%) and tension-type headache (23.8%) were most common.
  • Over 92% experienced impaired school functioning; poor academic performance and lower paternal education were significant predictors.
  • Lifestyle factors like increased screen time and poor hydration were prevalent; headache type/frequency were not significant predictors.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric primary headaches substantially impair school functioning.
  • Educational and family factors are more influential than headache characteristics.
  • Addressing lifestyle and contextual factors may improve outcomes for children with headaches.
Abstract

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