%0 Journal Article
%T Prevalence of Primary Headache in Nurses in Japan: A Cross-sectional Single-center Study.
%A Sekiguchi K
%A Huh S
%A Watanabe N
%A Miyazaki N
%A Ishizuchi K
%A Iba C
%A Tagashira Y
%A Shibata M
%A Takemura R
%A Nakahara J
%A Takizawa T
%J Intern Med
%V 63
%N 9
%D 2024 May 1
%M 37722898
%F 1.282
%R 10.2169/internalmedicine.1757-23
%X Objective This study examined the prevalence of migraine in nurses in Japan, which, to our knowledge, has not been documented in English. Methods From April to May 2021, we administered a questionnaire to 229 nurses working at Keio University Hospital to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of headache among nurses in Japan. Headaches were classified as migraine or tension-type headache (TTH) based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition (ICHD-3). Results In total, 80 patients (34.9%) had primary headaches, including 47 (20.5%) with migraine and probable migraine and 33 (14.4%) with TTH and probable TTH. We found a significant difference in the Numerical Rating Scale score, nausea and vomiting, photophobia, phonophobia, and aggravation by routine physical activity between migraine and TTH. The specificities for a migraine diagnosis were 100% and 93.9% for nausea/vomiting and photophobia, respectively. Only 8.8% of patients had their headaches diagnosed by a physician. Conclusion Migraines have a high prevalence (>20%) among nurses and are often under-diagnosed. In many cases, headache-associated symptoms are more important than laterality or other characteristics for the diagnosis. Many nurses are treated for headaches without a correct diagnosis. Further education regarding primary headaches may be necessary for health practitioners as well as society.