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. 2024 Nov 26:11:1456502.
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1456502. eCollection 2024.

Association between dietary folate intake and severe headache or migraine in adults: a cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Dehua Zhao  1 , Xiaoqing Long  1 , Jisheng Wang  1
Affiliations

Association between dietary folate intake and severe headache or migraine in adults: a cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Dehua Zhao et al. Front Nutr. .

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the association between dietary folate intake and severe headache or migraine.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 1999 to 2004. Weighted logistic regression models, restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression, sensitivity analysis, and stratified analyses were performed to evaluate the association between dietary folate intake and severe headache or migraine.

Results: A total of 4,107 participants were included, with 704 individuals (17.14%) experienced severe headache or migraine. After adjusting for all covariates, an independent association was found between dietary folate intake and severe headache or migraine (OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.64-0.93, p = 0.005). When folate intake was categorized, individuals in Q2 (251.21-356.00 μg/d), Q3 (356.19-514.00 μg/d), and Q4 (≥515.00 μg/d) had ORs of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.75-1.20, p = 0.660), 0.86 (95% CI: 0.67-1.12, p = 0.266), and 0.65 (95% CI: 0.48-0.89, p = 0.007), respectively, compared to those in Q1 (≤251.00 μg/d). The RCS regression showed a linear negative relationship between dietary folate intake and severe headache or migraine. Stratified and sensitivity analyses yielded similar results.

Conclusion: There was a linear negative relationship between dietary folate intake and migraine.

Keywords: cross-sectional study; folate; logistic regression; restricted cubic spline regression; severe headache or migraine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of participants selection.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Dose–response relationship between dietary folate intake and severe headache or migraine. Adjustment factors included age, gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, education level, family income, smoking status, drinking status, BMI, physical activity, CRP, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, stroke, diabetes, coronary heart disease, energy, proteins, carbohydrates, and fat.
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