Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and Impact of Primary Headaches on Children Attending Upper Primary School in Nairobi County

Abstract

Headache is defined as pain that occurs above the auriculo-infraorbital line. This is one of the most common causes for presentation to a medical facility or healthcare practitioner. It is a common complaint in children and is ranked third as a cause of school absence. It remains a common problem whose prevalence and impact remains unknown in the paediatric population. Objectives: The primary objective of this research was to establish the prevalence of primary headache in children in upper primary school in Nairobi county. Utility: Assessing the magnitude and impact of headache will help create awareness of headaches in schools and inform school health programs to address quality of life and influence health seeking behaviour with regards to headache in children. Methodology: This was a cross sectional study. The population assessed in this study were children attending upper primary school in Nairobi county in four schools: two public schools and two private schools. Study period: February 2021 -March 2021 Results: From 153 children recruited the prevalence of primary headache was 10.4% (95% CI 0.0561-0.1531), migraine 5.2%, tension type headache, 3.3% and cluster headache 1.9%. Children lost 3 days of school and parents lost 3 days of work due to headache. Conclusion: The prevalence of primary headache in Nairobi county is high with migraine being the most common. This headache negatively impacts quality of life and school attendance. Recommendation: A nationwide survey would be needed to assess impact on a national level.