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. 2020 Jan 14;21(1):5.
doi: 10.1186/s10194-020-1075-z.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with headache amongst medical staff in South China

Wei Xie  1 , Ruibing Li  2 , Mianwang He  1 , Fang Cui  3 , Tingting Sun  3 , Jianmei Xiong  3 , Dengfa Zhao  1 , Weinan Na  1 , Ruozhuo Liu  4 , Shengyuan Yu  5
Affiliations

Prevalence and risk factors associated with headache amongst medical staff in South China

Wei Xie et al. J Headache Pain. .

Abstract

Background: A previous study by our team reported the prevalence of primary headache disorders and factors associated with headache among nurses in three hospitals in North China. The aim of this cross-sectional survey was to learn more about how medical nurses in South China were affected by headache. Additionally, we determined the prevalence of headache and measured the impact of headache among doctors in mainland China for the first time.

Methods: Stratified random cluster sampling was used to select 280 physicians and 365 nurses from various departments in four hospitals in Sanya, which is one of southernmost cities in China. Information was collected on demographic data, occupational factors and headache characteristics by using a structured questionnaire.

Results: Among 645 medical staff, 548 (85%) responded (doctors = 240, nurses = 308). Among the medical staff, the 1-year prevalence of primary headache disorders was 50%, with 25.9% experiencing migraine and 24.1% experiencing tension-type headache (TTH). The prevalence of migraine in female doctors was higher than that in female nurses, although this difference was not significant (32.4% vs. 29.8%, P = 0.628). Multivariate analysis showed that being female and working in other specialties (Emergency Department & Radiology Department) remained independent risk factors for migraine in doctors (OR 2.314 and 3.223). In nurses, being married was a risk factor for migraine (OR 3.728), and job titles remained an independent risk factor for migraine and TTH (OR 2.294 and 4.695). Working more than 6 night-shifts per month was associated with an increased prevalence of migraine and TTH in doctors; the same was true in nurses for migraine, but not for TTH.

Conclusion: The prevalence of primary headache disorders in both nurses and doctors is higher than that in the general population in South China. Our study shows that occupation, geography and sex may play an important role. Further, female doctors are more susceptible than female nurses to migraine. The risk factors relevant to headache that were found in this study should provide an important reference for promoting occupational health in medical staff, especially female doctors in China.

Keywords: Headache; Medical staff; Migraine; Prevalence; Tension-type headache.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Comparison of the prevalence of different types of headaches among medical staff, doctors and nurses
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Comparison of the prevalence of migraine among female doctors and female nurses
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Prevalence of migraine among doctors and nurses by age
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Prevalence of TTH among doctors and nurses by age
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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