PREVALENCE, PREDICTORS TRIGGERS AND COPING STRATEGIES OF TENSION HEADACHE AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS AND IN KSAU-HS RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of primary headaches, specifically tension-type headaches (TTH), among medical students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and to identify the factors that contribute to the occurrence and relief of headaches. A cross-sectional study was conducted among second to sixth-year medical students at KSAU-HS from October 2022 to February 2023. Participants with chronic headaches who volunteered to participate were included. The International Classification of Headache Disorders, third edition (ICHD-3), was used to classify and differentiate between different types of headaches. Additional questions were included to assess factors that exacerbate or alleviate headaches, headache management strategies, and the impact of headaches on academic performance. Data were collected using electronic self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 21. A total of 303 participants were included in the study, with a mean age of 22 ± 1.7 years. The majority of participants were male (59.4%), and most were in clinical years (61.1%) with a GPA of 4.5 to 5 (57.1%). Nearly all participants reported experiencing at least one episode of headache in the past year, and 60.7% met the criteria for TTH. The most commonly reported headache characteristics were bilateral location (71.3%), frequent occurrence (53.8%), duration of more than one hour (84.5%), and frontal site (61.7%). Lack of sleep (62.4%) was identified as the most common trigger, while taking simple analgesics like Paracetamol (72.3%) and sleep (50.5%) were the most commonly used therapies to manage headaches. The majority of participants (75.9%) reported that their headaches did not significantly affect their academic performance. A significant association was found between gender and tension-type headaches, with male students being at a higher risk (p-value < 0.001). In conclusion, primary headaches, particularly tension-type headaches, are prevalent among medical students at KSAU-HS, potentially impacting their academic performance. Further research is warranted to raise awareness among students regarding effective headache management strategies.