Cephalalgia
Volume 26, Issue 10, 2006, Pages 1177-1181

One-year prevalence and socio-cultural aspects of chronic headache in Turkish immigrants and German natives (Article)

Kavuk I.* , Weimar C. , Kim B.T. , Gueneyli G. , Araz M. , Klieser E. , Limmroth V. , Diener H.C. , Katsarava Z.
  • a Department of Neurology, University of Essen, Essen, Germany, Evangelical Clinics Gelsenkirchen, Munckelstr. 27, 45879 Gelsenkirchen, Germany
  • b Department of Neurology, University of Essen, Essen, Germany
  • c Department of Biological Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Evangelical Clinics, Gelsenkirchen, Bochum, Germany
  • d Department of Neurology, University of Essen, Essen, Germany
  • e Department of Neurology, University of Essen, Essen, Germany
  • f Department of Biological Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Evangelical Clinics, Gelsenkirchen, Bochum, Germany
  • g Department of Neurology, University of Essen, Essen, Germany
  • h Department of Neurology, University of Essen, Essen, Germany
  • i Department of Neurology, University of Essen, Essen, Germany

Abstract

The aim of this research was to study the prevalence of chronic headache (CH) and associated socio-cultural factors in Turkish immigrants and native Germans. Five hundred and twenty-three Turkish and German company employees were screened using a standard questionnaire. Those who suffered from headaches were also examined by a neurologist. Complete data were available for 471 (90%) subjects. Thirty-four participants (7.2%) had CH. Two independent factors for association with CH could be identified: overuse of acute headache medication (OR = 72.5; 95% CI 25.9-202.9), and being a first-generation Turkish immigrant compared with native Germans (OR = 4.4; 95% CI 1.4-13.7). In contrast, the factor associated with chronic headache was not increased in second-generation Turkish immigrants. Medication overuse was significantly more frequent in first-generation Turkish immigrants (21.6%) compared with second-generation Turkish immigrants (3.3%) and native Germans (3.6%; χ2 = 38.0, P < 0.001). First-generation Turkish immigrants did not contact headache specialists at all, compared with 2.8% of second-generation Turkish immigrants and 8.8% of native Germans (χ2 = 118.4, P < 0.001). Likewise no first-generation Turkish immigrant suffering from CH received headache preventive treatment, compared with 6.6% of native Germans (χ2 = 19.1, P = 0.014). The data from this cross-sectional study reveal a high prevalence of chronic headache as well as a very low utilization of adequate medical care in first-generation Turkish immigrants in Germany. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Author Keywords

Chronic headache German Epidemiology Cross-sectional study Turkish

Index Keywords

Germany demography race difference immigration human controlled study social aspect chronic disease Humans headache male female Socioeconomic Factors Risk Factors questionnaire prevalence Article major clinical study adult Turkey Emigration and Immigration Culture
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33748502553&doi=10.1111%2fj.1468-2982.2006.01186.x&partnerID=40&md5=c2ef3348a56566cbdcbb4355b1662bf4
DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2006.01186.x
ISSN: 03331024
Cited by: 34
Original Language: English