Predictors and concomitants of the remission of frequent headache in pediatrics : A longitudinal community study

© 2024 The Authors. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Headache Society..

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine factors associated with frequent headache remission in schoolchildren aged 10-18 years.

BACKGROUND: Frequent headache is a common health problem in adolescence, and some individuals in this population experience remission. Factors preceding headache remission as opposed to ongoing headache, and their development over time, have not been examined extensively.

METHODS: Data were derived from a large school sample (N = 2280). Over the course of 1 year, n = 156 adolescents experienced remission from frequent headaches, while n = 125 adolescents continued to have frequent headaches throughout the year. In this longitudinal case-control study, we predicted headache remission using demographic, pain, psychosocial, sleep, and physiological characteristics. Additionally, we sought to explore the development of psychosocial, sleep, and physiological characteristics in relation to remitted versus ongoing headache over the 1-year period.

RESULTS: A model containing the variables sex (odds ratio [OR] = 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.248-0.76, p = 0.003), headache intensity (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.73-0.99, p = 0.035), anxiety score (OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.85-1.01, p = 0.071), and depression score (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.89-1.00, p = 0.041) predicted the outcome variable (remitted vs. non-remitted headache), explaining 17% of the variance in group membership. Schoolchildren reporting remitted headache at the end of the year exhibited lower depression (F[1, 557.01] = 45.77, p < 0.001) and anxiety scores (F[1, 557.01] = 21.72, p < 0.001), higher school satisfaction (F[1, 209.46] = 7.15, p = 0.008), and fewer difficulties falling asleep (F[1, 856.52] = 41.21, p < 0.001) or sleeping through the night (F[1, 731.12] = 26.42, p < 0.001) throughout the year compared to those with non-remitted headache. Depression scores declined significantly over the year in the group with remitted headache, whereas these scores remained constant in the group with non-remitted headache.

CONCLUSION: Our results suggest a correlation between headache remission and male sex, improved mental health, and reduced pain-related burden. Moreover, there was an observed decline in symptoms of depression during headache remission. Psychotherapy may be a promising treatment strategy for addressing frequent headaches reported by children and adolescents.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:64

Enthalten in:

Headache - 64(2024), 3 vom: 21. März, Seite 306-316

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Rau, Lisa-Marie [VerfasserIn]
Humberg, Clarissa [VerfasserIn]
Könning, Anna [VerfasserIn]
Claus, Benedikt B [VerfasserIn]
Stahlschmidt, Lorin [VerfasserIn]
Wager, Julia [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Adolescents
Chronic pain
Frequent headache
Journal Article
Longitudinal
Pediatric
Remission

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 21.03.2024

Date Revised 21.03.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1111/head.14690

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM369308085