Prevalences of primary headache symptoms at school-entry: a population-based epidemiological survey of preschool children in Germany

Primary headache and functional abdominal pain prevalences in an unselected population-based sample of German preschool children and their parents (n=885) were collected in relation to health-related quality of life and sociodemographic variables. The pain symptoms were assessed according to IHS cla...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of headache and pain 2006-10, Vol.7 (5), p.331-340
Main Authors: Ostkirchen, Gabriele Gerda, Andler, Felix, Hammer, Friederike, Pöhler, Kerstin Daniela, Snyder-Schendel, Erika, Werner, Nina Kerstin, Markett, Sebastian, Horacek, Ulrike, Jöckel, Karl-Heinz, Diener, Hans Christoph
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdominal Pain - epidemiology
Abdominal Pain - physiopathology
Analysis of Variance
Child
Child, Preschool
Comorbidity
Epidemiology
Female
Germany - epidemiology
Headache - epidemiology
Headache - physiopathology
Headaches
Health Surveys
Humans
Male
Original
Pain
Preschool children
Prevalence
Quality of Life
Recurrence
Socioeconomic Factors
Stomach
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:Primary headache and functional abdominal pain prevalences in an unselected population-based sample of German preschool children and their parents (n=885) were collected in relation to health-related quality of life and sociodemographic variables. The pain symptoms were assessed according to IHS classification (2004) and Rome-II criteria (1999) during the 2004 data census. The participation rate was 62.7%, with an equal gender distribution. The focus of this paper lies on the symptom-oriented point prevalences for primary headaches of preschool children: 3.6% headache, 33.2% abdominal pain, 48.8% headache+abdominal pain and 14.4% without pain. High comorbidities for pain-affected children have been found. Pain intensities differ significantly only for abdominal pain (one-way ANOVA F=3,339, df=4/445, p=0.010*), not for headaches. However, recurrent headaches show a striking ratio in favour of boys (10:1). Children at preschool age have high quality-of-life measures, already influenced negatively by paediatric pain experiences (one-way ANOVA: F=9,193, df=4/546, p=0.000**). Headache and abdominal pain are relevant for children's everyday life; hence, simultaneous and prospective assessment is an essential issue in public health research.
ISSN:1129-2369
1129-2377
DOI:10.1007/s10194-006-0325-z