Key health problem: headache at school
Migraine affects children's school performance
Headaches are the most common and serious health problem among students . This is already proven by previous data from Schleswig-Holstein's schools. Children with migraines are more likely to have difficulties in school than children without migraines. The explosiveness of the problem is now confirmed by a new study that was published in the renowned medical journal “Neurology” in October of this year. Many studies have so far proven that good academic performance has an influence on future professional life, quality of life and financial income. If migraine has a negative impact on school performance, it can have a significant negative impact on the future of affected children. The study proves the importance of migraine treatment for the rest of the individual's life and the explosiveness of migraine for society.
The research group around Dr. Daniel Kantor investigated what influence migraines have on school performance. Therefore, two important informant sources were interviewed: the teachers and the parents of the students. Teachers were interviewed via validated questionnaires that analyzed children's emotional and behavioral difficulties. The parents were interviewed about their health, the occurrence of headaches and other information about their children. Around 25 percent of the students suffered from migraines, and those with chronic migraines were also found within the collective.
The study examined 5,671 children between the ages of five and twelve. Overall, 0.6% of children suffered from chronic migraine, that is, migraine that occurs more than fifteen days per month. Episodic migraine was diagnosed in 9% of children. An additional 17.6% of children met all but one criterion for a diagnosis of migraine. It has been shown that children with migraines were 30% more likely to perform below average in school than children without headaches. Children suffering from migraines were also more likely to be absent from class due to illness than their classmates without migraines.
The association between migraines and poorer school performance increased further when migraines were more intense, prolonged, chronic, or nausea-related. Migraines in childhood can therefore have a lasting negative impact on school performance.
If you have existing headaches, it is therefore important to make an early diagnosis and treat the migraine early. With an average prevalence of a quarter of schoolchildren suffering from migraine, it is a serious societal problem, particularly for children who experience frequent and severe migraine attacks. Teachers and parents must therefore take this condition seriously and ensure that these children receive targeted and timely specialized medical treatment.
Further information about the study can be found here
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