Migraine prevalence in adolescents aged 13-15: a student population-based study in Taiwan

To estimate the lifetime migraine prevalence in school adolescents aged 13- 15 in Taiwan, we conducted a self-administered questionnaire survey in four sampled public junior high schools. Migraine was diagnosed according to th e diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society. A total of 406 4 students (1983 boys, 2081 girls) completed the questionnaire (response ra te 91.6%). The lifetime prevalence of migraine was 6.8%. It was significant ly higher in girls than boys (7.8% vs. 5.7%) and increased with age in both sexes. Students with migraine were more likely to be absent from school be cause of their headaches than those with non-migraine headaches (30% vs. 14 %, odds ratio (OR) 2.7). They were also more likely to use painkillers for their headaches than their non-migraine headache peers (72% vs. 40%, OR 4.0 ). These results suggest that migraine is a common disorder of adolescents in Taiwan and its impact on the quality of life can not be ignored.