Menstrual-Related Headaches Among a Cohort of African Adolescent Girls

Philip B Adebayo; Folajimi M Otubogun; Rufus O Akinyemi

doi:10.2147/JPR.S207620

Menstrual-Related Headaches Among a Cohort of African Adolescent Girls

J Pain Res. 2020 Jan 16:13:143-150. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S207620. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Philip B Adebayo^{1

2}, Folajimi M Otubogun^{2

3}, Rufus O Akinyemi^{2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Postgraduate Medical Education, Aga Khan University, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
² Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
³ Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Medical Science, Ondo, Ondo State, Nigeria.
⁴ Institute of Advanced Medical Research and Training, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Introduction: Migraine attacks associated with menstruation are generally perceived as more severe than attacks outside this period.

Aim and objective: The study aimed at determining the frequency of menstrual-related headaches among a cohort of senior secondary school girls in Abeokuta, Nigeria. We also determined its burden among these school girls.

Methodology: This study was cross-sectional using a validated adolescent headache survey questionnaire. A self-administration of the instrument was done during a school visit. A headache was classified using the ICHD-II criteria.

Results: Of the 183 students interviewed, 123(67.2%) had recurrent headaches. Mean age ±SD, 16.18±1.55 (range 12-19). The prevalence of definite migraine was 17.5% while the prevalence of probable migraine was 6.0%. The prevalence of tension-type headache was 41.0%. Migraine was significantly menstrual-related (p=0.001, 95% CI=1.06-6.63). Median pain severity score was higher among MRH group (p=0.043). The median number of days of reduced productivity and missed social activities was significantly higher in the MRH group; p= 0.001 and p=0.03, respectively. Subjects with MRH were more incapacitated by their headaches (p= 0.003).

Conclusion: Menstrually related headache is prevalent even among the adolescent and it has adversely affected their productivity and social life. Care of adolescent with headaches should be intensified.

Keywords: adolescence; headache; menstrually related; menstruation; migraine.