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. 2019 May 24;19(1):164.
doi: 10.1186/s12887-019-1537-0.

Quality of life in children and adolescents with migraine: an Austrian monocentric, cross-sectional questionnaire study

Lydia Stella Koller  1 , Susanne C Diesner  1 , Peter Voitl  2   3
Affiliations

Quality of life in children and adolescents with migraine: an Austrian monocentric, cross-sectional questionnaire study

Lydia Stella Koller et al. BMC Pediatr. .

Abstract

Background: Migraine is a disabling primary headache disorder that occurs in about 10 % of children and might lead to a lower quality of life. There are several possible migraine triggers in a patient's environment, which should be avoided where possible. The objective of this Austrian monocentric study was to identify migraine triggers and the areas, in which children and adolescents with migraine have a lower quality of life than healthy, headache-free children.

Methods: In this cross-sectional, questionnaire study, 76 children from ages 8 to 17 years were included. Thirty-seven were classified as migraineurs, 39 as non-migraineurs. Participants filled in a questionnaire surveying the areas of physical, socio-economic and school functioning. Migraineurs further answered migraine-specific questions.

Results: The study included 33 (43.4%) males and 43 (56.6%) females. Median age was 13.00 (10.00-16.00) years. Average age of onset for migraine was 9.22 ± 3.34 years. Non-migraineurs skipped trendwise fewer meals (p.adjust = 0.108) and exercised more often (p.adjust = 0.108). In socio-economic functioning, the father's nationality being Austrian might be related to migraine (p.adjust = 0.108). Children with migraine had a significantly lower quality of life in school functioning (PedsQL 4.0 questionnaire, p.adjust = 0.04) and had significantly less often "good" grades than children without migraine (p.adjust = 0.048).

Conclusion: Children with migraine show a reduced quality of life in the areas of physical, socio-economic and school functioning.

Keywords: Adolescents; Children; Economical; Emotional; Migraine; Physical; Quality of life; School; Social.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Migraine-accompanying symptoms. The percentages of symptoms accompanying migraine in migraineurs are depicted
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Migraine triggers. Certain situations were reported by migraineurs to trigger an attack. Percentages of migraineurs are given
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Migraine triggers in adolescents. Percentages of migraine triggers when going-out are shown in 13 to 17- year-olds
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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