Abstract
Background: Migraine constitutes a public health problem. It is more common among the productive workforce segment of the population.
Objective: To assess prevalence of migraine, its patterns and associated factors among male secondary school teachers.
Methods: This study was conducted in Abha City, Saudi Arabia, following a cross-sectional descriptive design. A total of 200 male secondary school teachers were included. A self-administered questionnaire was adopted and modified from a previous study and was used for data collection.
Results: The prevalence of migraine among male secondary school teachers was 42.5%. The main site for migraine was the occipital region (55.3%). Migraine was mainly pulsating/throbbing among 49.4% of participants. The main medication taken to relieve migraine was paracetamol (52.9%). About half of participants (54.1%) had moderately severe migraine. The main premonitory symptoms were aura (37.6%) and photophobia (34.1%). The main triggers for migraine were exhaustion (55.3%), strong perfumes (34.1%), and weight lifting. Prevalence of migraine was significantly associated with having children (p=0.024), smoking (p=0.018), having a teaching workload >20 hours/week (p=0.013) and sleeping <8 hours/day (p=0.017).
Conclusions: Prevalence of migraine headache among male secondary school teachers in Abha City is high, mainly felt as throbbing, at the occipital region. The main premonitory symptoms are aura and photophobia, while the main migraine triggers are exhaustion, exposure to strong perfumes, and weight lifting. Risk factors for migraine include smoking, having children, high teaching workload and inadequate sleep.