Migraines in medical students from Inner Mongolia University

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of migraines and related factors.

Methods: The survey employed was a self-administered questionnaire regarding various migraine symptoms and related factors administered to medical students attending Inner Mongolia Medical College in China. We calculate migraine prevalence and evaluate migraine-related factors. Migraine prevalence based on related factors and according to gender were compared using χ² tests. The proportion of other symptoms related to migraines was also calculated.

Results: 17.2% of surveyed students had experienced migraines. The migraines prevalence among students who used the computer for over three hours was nearly 1.5 times higher than for those who used it for less than one hour. Of those students who used a computer for more than 3 hours, migraine prevalence among female students was approximately 1.5 times greater than for males. The migraine prevalence among students with poor sleep was nearly two times higher than among those with good sleep. The migraine prevalence among students with anxiety was approximately 2.5 times higher relative to those who experienced no anxiety. The most common symptom complaint associated with migraines (>97%) included limited ability to study and restricted daily activities.

Conclusions: Although the migraine prevalence in our study was moderate, it led to serious limitations in students’ study time and daily activities. In addition to measures to relieve anxiety and improve sleep quality, stricter control of computer use will be necessary, especially in female. Taken together, our study provides better insight regarding medical students’ migraine-related problems.