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Risk factors identified for chronic daily headache in young adolescents

Chronic daily headaches are a common occurrence in young adolescents, according to recent study findings published in Pediatrics.

“By examining the factors that contribute to incident (new-onset) [chronic daily headache], some determinants may emerge as potential targets for prevention and treatment,” researchers wrote. “A study in the United States showed that the 1-year incidence of [chronic daily headache] was 3% in adults, and risk factors included obesity and baseline headache frequency. In children and adolescents, the incidence and risk factors of [chronic daily headache] are largely unknown.”

The cohort study included 3,342 adolescents aged 13 to 14 years at three middle schools in Taitung, Taiwan, from 2005 to 2007. Those without chronic daily headaches at baseline were followed up for 1 to 2 years.

Researchers found that 63 participants developed chronic daily headaches, and 52% of these had a migraine diagnosis at baseline.

Risk factors for chronic daily headaches included female gender, acute family financial distress, obesity, higher headache frequency and a migraine diagnosis at baseline. High headache frequency was the only risk factor for chronic daily headache, chronic migraine and chronic tension-type headache. Migraines at baseline and obesity were risk factors for chronic migraine and chronic tension-type headache, whereas female gender was a risk factor for chronic tension-type headache and chronic daily headache.

“The current study reported for the first time the incidence rates of [chronic daily headache] and its major subtypes ([chronic migraine] and [chronic tension-type headache]) in young adolescents and identified several risk factors that might be of clinical interest,” researchers wrote.

Disclosure: See the study for a full list of disclosures.