A Study on Headache in an Island Area of Korea

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 22(1); 2004 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 2004;22(1): 40-45.

어느 섬지역 주민의 두통에 대한 조사

박문호, 고성범 박민규 박건우 이대희

강화군 서도면 보건지소, 고려대학교 의과대학 신경과학교실

A Study on Headache in an Island Area of Korea

Moon Ho Park

Seodo-myeon Health Subcenter, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon; Department of Neurology, Korea University College of Medicine*, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Background: Headache is one of the most common disorders, and shows ethnic or geographic diversities. Moreover, the prevalence and epidemiologic characteristics of headache, especially in people living in an island area, is lacking. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence and subtypes of headache in an island area of Korea.
Methods: We collected the demographic and clinical data of all residents living in the survey island area. A neurologist interviewed 352 respondents in a face-to-face method. The specific headache diagnosis was based on the diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society.
Results: The survey island area represented a typical aging society like that of a rural area in Korea. Tension-type headache was the most common type. The prevalence of migraine, tension-type headache, and other headache were 4.0%, 7.1%, and 1.7%, respectively. Migraine with aura occupied 1.7% and migraine without aura occupied 2.3%. Episodic tension-type headache occupied 6.5% and chronic tension-type headache occupied 0.6%. Migraine showed a peak prevalence below the third decade of age and tension-type headache showed a peak prevalence above the sixth decade.
Conclusions: This study showed a characteristic pattern of the prevalence of headache in an island area of Korea. We thought this low prevalence of headache might be due to not only subject age but also social-environmental factors. This study may be helpful in understanding headaches and can provide some basic information for future studies. Key Words: Headache, Migraine, Tension headache, Epidemiology, Prevalence