Prevalence and Impact of Migraine Among University Students in Bangladesh: Findings from a Cross-sectional Survey

Background: Migraine is one of the main causes of long-term morbidity, and it is one of the major contributors of all types of headaches in worldwide. Despite its disruptive effect, it is frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated in Bangladesh. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of migraines and its impact on daily life of university students in Bangladesh.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,352 students of Rajshahi University and Jahangirnagar University during March 2020 through a self-administered online survey. ID Migraine™ scale and HIT-6 scale were used to screen migraine and its impact respectively. Frequency distribution, Chi-square test and t-test along with multiple logistic regressions model were used to determine the prevalence and associated factors of migraine respectively.

Results: The overall prevalence of migraine among the participants was 21.4%. The prevalence was higher among females (29%) than males (12%). A multivariable logistic regression model provided the following eight risk factors of migraine: (i) gender (p < 0.01), (ii) family income (p < 0.01), (iii) marital status (p < 0.01), (iv) infrequent exercise (p < 0.01), (v) family history of headache (p < 0.01), (vi) high screen time (p < 0.05), (vii) depressive symptoms (p < 0.05) and (viii) anxiety disorder (p < 0.01). More than two-thirds of the people with migraines reported more than five attacks during the past month with moderate to severe intense headache. Stress was the most reported trigger of migraine among university students (71%) followed by irregular sleep (47%), academic pressure (33%), and external noise (28%). Almost 37% of the participants who had migraines reported that headache caused severe impact in their day to day life.

Conclusions: The prevalence of migraine among university students of Bangladesh is alarmingly high. Frequent migraine attacks and severe intensity of headache cause a substantial level of impact among the sufferers. Cautious avoidance of the triggering factors through appropriate interventions and prophylactic medication can mitigate the negative impact of migraine as well as improve the quality of life.