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Prevalence of Primary Headache Syndrome in Adults in the Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia
Author(s) -
Abduljabbar Mohammad,
Ogunniyi Adesola,
Al Balla Suliman,
Alballaa Saleh,
AlDalaan Abdullah
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1046/j.1526-4610.1996.3606385.x
Subject(s) - medicine , migraine , headaches , prevalence , pediatrics , primary headache , demography , epidemiology , surgery , psychiatry , sociology
Background and Purpose: Headache occurs worldwide, but documentation on the burden of headache in Saudi communities is quite limited. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of primary headache in a rural community in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A door‐to‐door survey of subjects older than 15 years of age was used for completion of a structured questionnaire to determine headache types based on defined criteria. Physical examination was used to exclude secondary causes. Results: Of 5891 inhabitants, 473 suffered from headaches. The crude lifetime prevalence rate was 8% (95% CI, 7.3% to 8.7%) and with age adjustment was 9.3% (8.6% to 10%). Headache sufferers were predominantly women. The age‐specific rate increased progressively, peaking in the sixth decade. Tension‐type headache diagnosed in 185 subjects predominated (3.1%), while the prevalence of migraine was 2.6%. Conclusion: The findings agree with the reported prevalence of 10% to 12% in other communities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but lower than the rates in Western countries. The lower rates are probably related to sociocultural factors.