Frankfurt am Main and Kiel, September 4, 2019. Over 70% of schoolchildren in Germany suffer from recurring headaches. Migraine attacks and tension-type headaches could often be prevented. This is the conclusion of the accompanying research for the nationwide "Aktion Mütze – Kindheit ohne Kopfzerbrechen" (Action Hat – Childhood without Headaches) initiative. Since 2014, the initiators of "Aktion Mütze" have been testing a teaching unit on headache prevention in seventh grade classes. They have now presented initial analyses of the program's effectiveness.

Six months after the lesson, 66.5% of the students suffering from headaches who applied the knowledge they had acquired experienced an improvement in their symptoms. Among those who continued to use the provided workbook, "Mütze is fed up with his headache," an even higher percentage (87.7%) reported an improvement.

"The figures show that information and knowledge are a highly effective measure for preventing migraines and headaches in school-age children," commented Prof. Dr. Hartmut Göbel, Director of the Kiel Pain Clinic and scientific director of the study, on the results: "They form the basis for conscious and healthy health behavior throughout the entire lifespan. The saying 'what little Johnny doesn't learn, big Johnny will never learn' also applies here."

As part of the "Action Hat – Childhood Without Headaches" program, secondary schools nationwide are invited to order free teaching materials for their seventh-grade classes. The teaching unit provides students, teachers, and parents with the necessary knowledge to effectively prevent migraine attacks, tension headaches, and medication-overuse headaches.

Karin Frisch, a former teacher and managing director of ZIES gGmbH in Frankfurt am Main, and initiator of "Aktion Mütze" (Operation Hat), collaborated with Prof. Göbel to present available medical knowledge in a way that optimally reaches and sustainably raises awareness among the various target groups. Six months later, 78.1% of students suffering from headaches remembered the lesson "Mütze hat hat den Kopfschmerz satt" (Hat is fed up with headaches), and 45.9% of them applied what they had learned. The lesson also achieved its goal among children and adolescents without headaches: 69.4% remembered it, and 23.0% applied what they had learned to prevent headaches.

To function efficiently and painlessly over the long term, the brain relies on a regular intake of complex carbohydrates. Therefore, eating and drinking play an important role in headache prevention. Regular sleep patterns also ensure a balanced energy level. On the other hand, stress, whether from work, sports, or screen time, must be managed sensibly. An overloaded schedule increases the likelihood of headaches – even if only enjoyable and exciting activities are planned. Learning a relaxation technique can also help you unwind when worries, exertion, and time pressure are unavoidable.

No single trigger is responsible for an increase in headaches. We can't avoid all stressors. That's why, in the "Operation Hat" program, students learn to observe themselves closely and identify what triggers their headaches or helps prevent them. Accompanied by the friendly character "Hats," they create an individual plan for managing their daily routines. When experiencing headaches, the children and teenagers can use a headache questionnaire to determine the likely type of headache they are suffering from.

The most important content of the lesson is also conveyed in the "Mütze" comic film, which can be viewed free of charge online. This allows even children, teenagers, and families who are not participating in "Aktion Mütze" to be reached. Many health insurance companies supporting "Aktion Mütze" also provide their members with the activity booklet "Mütze hat den Kopfschmerz satt" (Mütze is fed up with headaches) free of charge. Families can work through this guide together at home.

"Aktion Mütze" (Operation Hat) is implemented by ZIES gGmbH in 15 German states and has reached over 110,000 children and young people. 31 statutory health insurance funds jointly support the program. The Ministers and Senators for Health of the states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Schleswig-Holstein have assumed patronage of the program in their respective states. "Aktion Mütze" will continue until 2020.

To reduce the burden of headaches among children and adolescents in the long term, the initiators have set themselves the goal of firmly establishing the developed headache prevention measures in schools. They are counting on the support of the state ministries of education.

ZIES gGmbH is an independent, non-profit organization with no commercial interests. Since 2014, under the scientific direction of Prof. Göbel, it has been conducting setting-based prevention projects for school pupils, students, and working adults. These projects are characterized by a comprehensive scientific foundation and the target group-oriented presentation of all content.

Press contacts

Karin Frisch
ZIES gemeinnützige GmbH
info@zies-frankfurt.de
Tel.: 0171-19 86 590

Prof. Dr. Hartmut Göbel,
Pain Clinic Kiel
, hg@schmerzklinik.de,
Tel.: +49 431-20 09 91 50

Further information and press materials

You can find out more about the nationwide “Aktion Mütze – Kindheit ohne Kopfzerbrechen” (Action Hat – Childhood without headaches) at www.aktion-muetze.de

Further results of the accompanying research on "Aktion Mütze" can be found at the following link: https://www.zies-frankfurt.de/kinder-staerken/begleitforschung.html

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