Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (79)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by O'BRIEN, B.
Right arrow Articles by STREINER, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by O'BRIEN, B.
Right arrow Articles by STREINER, D.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1994 Oxford University Press

research-article

Prevalence of Migraine Headache in Canada: A Population-Based Survey

BERNIE O'BRIEN*,**,, RON GOEREE* and DAVID STREINER*,{dagger}

* Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
** Center for Evaluation of Medicines, St Joseph's Hospital Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
{dagger} Department of Psychiatry, McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Reprint requests to Dr Bernie O'Brien, Centre for Evaluation of Medicines, St Joseph's Hospital, Martha Wing, Room H329, 50 Charlton Avenue E, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8N 4A6

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of migraine headache among Canadian adults (aged >18 years) and analyse vanation by age, gender, household income and province of residence.

METHODS: A population-based survey was undertaken using telephone interviews with 2922 adults who were randomly selected from households across Canada by stratified regional sampling. The questionnaire asked about frequency and characteristics of headaches experienced and other symptoms. The diagnostic criteria of the international Headache Society were used to classify people as migraineurs (with or without aura), headachers or non-headachers.

RESULTS: Of 8921 random calls to households, 4235 were eligible and 2922 interviews were successfully completed (response rate 66%) The prevalence of migraineurs, headachers and non-headachers among males was 7.8%, 76.1%, 16.1% and among females was 24.9%, 65.6%, 9.4%. For females prevalence appears to increase with age, peaking at 40–44 years and declining thereafter. Sex-specific prevalence for males and females, controlling for age, was significantly lower in the province of Quebec compared to other provinces. We found no association between migraine prevalence and household income. Of 500 people classified by IHS criteria as migraineurs only 232 (46%) reported any migraine diagnosis by a physician

CONCLUSIONS: We estimate that 2.6 million adult females and 0.8 million adult males in Canada are migraineurs, but only half are likely to have been diagnosed by a physician. Contrary to a recent US survey, people from lower income households in Canada are not at greater risk of migraine. The lower prevalence of migraine in Quebec was unexpected and remains unexplained, but it may be influenced by language/translation problems.

Received 1 March 1994


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Neuroradiol.Home page
J. E. Jordan and for the Expert Panel on Neurologic Imaging
Headache
AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., October 1, 2007; 28(9): 1824 - 1826.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NeurologyHome page
D. Hirtz, D. J. Thurman, K. Gwinn-Hardy, M. Mohamed, A. R. Chaudhuri, and R. Zalutsky
How common are the "common" neurologic disorders?
Neurology, January 30, 2007; 68(5): 326 - 337.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NeurologyHome page
A. Radtke, T. Lempert, M.A. Gresty, G.B. Brookes, A.M. Bronstein, and H. Neuhauser
Migraine and Meniere's disease: Is there a link?
Neurology, December 10, 2002; 59(11): 1700 - 1704.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NeurologyHome page
P. Henry, J. P. Auray, A. F. Gaudin, J. F. Dartigues, G. Duru, M. Lanteri-Minet, C. Lucas, A. Pradalier, G. Chazot, and A. El Hasnaoui
Prevalence and clinical characteristics of migraine in France
Neurology, July 23, 2002; 59(2): 232 - 237.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Int J EpidemiolHome page
S. L Tyas, J. Manfreda, L. A Strain, and P. R Montgomery
Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease: a population-based, longitudinal study in Manitoba, Canada
Int. J. Epidemiol., June 1, 2001; 30(3): 590 - 597.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NeurologyHome page
N. Breslau and B. K. Rasmussen
The impact of migraine: Epidemiology, risk factors, and co-morbidities
Neurology, March 1, 2001; 56(suppl_1): S4 - S12.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NeurologyHome page
L. J. Launer, G. M. Terwindt, and M. D. Ferrari
The prevalence and characteristics of migraine in a population-based cohort: The GEM Study
Neurology, August 1, 1999; 53(3): 537 - 537.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 Arch Intern MedHome page
X. H. Hu, L. E. Markson, R. B. Lipton, W. F. Stewart, and M. L. Berger
Burden of Migraine in the United States: Disability and Economic Costs
Arch Intern Med, April 26, 1999; 159(8): 813 - 818.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.