The Burden of Migraine among the Geriatric Population in Taif City, Saudi Arabia
Author(s): Abdulrahim Ali Alghamdi* and Adel Obaidallah Aloufi
Abstract
Background: Migraine headache is a chronic condition with several comorbidities. This study aims to assess the burden of migraine among the elderly in Taif city, Saudi Arabia, as well as to assess the effect of sociodemographic factors on migraine-specific quality of life among patients with migraine. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional study design and was conducted in several primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in Taif, Saudi Arabia. We used the Arabic Migraine Screen Questionnaire (MSQ) for the diagnosis of migraine. Participants who were diagnosed with migraine using the MSQ were assessed using the Migraine-specific Quality of Life questionnaire (MS-QoL). Data were managed and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results: The study included 75 participants. Males constituted 62.7% of participants. Age ranged from 65 to 71 years, whereas participants aged 65 to 69 constituted 56%. The majority (88%) resided in an urban area. Using the Arabic translation of the Migraine Screen Questionnaire revealed that 30.7% of participants were diagnosed with migraine. Among participants diagnosed with migraine (n=23), there was a significant association between MS-QoL and age (p=0.005), marital status (p=0.248), educational level (p=0.000), work status (p=0.000), and presence of chronic diseases (p=0.000). Conclusion: Our research found that migraine is more common in female elderly people than in male elderly. Older age groups, inhabitants of rural regions, widows, illiterates, participants with chronic conditions, and individuals who are still working all had a worse migraine-specific quality of life scores.