Epidemiological and clinical characteristics with psychosocial aspects of tension-type headache in Turkish college students

Abstract

We investigated the prevalence and clinical characteristics of tension-type headache (TTH), psychosocial factors contributing to the onset and aggravation of headache and coping mechanisms of individuals in a young population in Turkey. The sample consisted of 2226 university students, aged 7 to 21 years old. A self-administered questionnaire inquiring about epidemiological and clinical features of headache was filled out by participants. TTH diagnosis was determined in accordance with the International Headache Society Criteria of 1988. The prevalence of TTH was 20.35% (25.54% for women and 14.25% for men). 43.7% of headache sufferers had one or more stressful life events before the onset of headache and stress was the most frequent aggravating factor of headache (52%). Resting (58.1%) was the most common coping style. In conclusion, TTH is not a rare condition in Turkish young people and psychosocial factors are always taken into consideration for diagnosis and treatment of TTH.