B Bernar, N Gande, K Stock, A Schmid, R Geiger, G Brössner, U Kiechl-Kohlendorfer, M Knoflach


BACKGROUND AND AIMS 
Headache affects nearly everyone. Few studies have assessed headache characteristics and frequency in large cohorts of adolescents. We present preliminary results of the EVA-Tyrol study concerning type, frequency and prevalence of headaches according to sex and lifestyle aspects in a large cohort of adolescents.

METHODS 
The EVA Tyrol (early vascular ageing) study is a cohort study involving pupils and trainees aged 14 to 19 years in 45 schools and training-companies in the regional area of Tyrol (Austria) and South-Tyrol (Italy). Headaches were classified as Migraine with or without aura, tension-type headache and “other” according to the International Headache Society Classification (ICHD-III). Information for headache frequency, prevalence and lifestyle aspects were collected during a detailed medical interview.

RESULTS 
Between May 2015 and August 2017, 2088 adolescents (median age 16.3, 56.3% female) were evaluated.
712 (34.1%) reported headaches, thereof 538 (25.8%) regular headaches       (<15 days/month) and 82 (3.9%) chronic headaches (>14 days/month). 

Girls suffered more often from headache than boys (42.1 vs. 24.7%) with an age-related increase from 34 to 52.6% for girls and 21.4 to 36.4% for boys. In every age group the headache frequency was higher for girls (7.9 vs. 4.2 days/month) than for boys.

Participants without headache were physically more active than those with headache (mean 56.4 vs. 46.9 minutes/day, P < 0.001 and 3.3. vs. 2.8 days with >60 minutes physical activity per week, P < 0.001)

Conclusion 
The EVA-Tyrol study describes the prevalence and classification of headache-syndromes in a large Tyrolean adolescent cohort. Relevant differences according to age and sex as well as physical activity are shown.

SEX DIFFERENCES IN HEADACHE SYNDROMES AND FREQUENCY DURING ADOLESCENCE