Raising awareness among clinicians that many of the potential variables contributing to the presence of migraine are modifiable (eg, psychological problems and lifestyle behaviors) might intensify resources dedicated to assessing and impacting these factors in order to potentially prevent the frequency and severity of migraine. This according to a recent study that aimed to identify the modifiable and non-modifiable variables that are associated with, and might moderate, the presence of migraine in the general population. Using a nationally representative cross-sectional survey, researchers evaluated responses from individuals aged 15 years and older (n=22,842). There was a secondary analysis of data from the second wave of a health interview survey conducted from 2014 to 2015. They found:
- The 1-year prevalence of migraine was 8%.
- The final multivariate model (Wald χ 2=693.00, df=15) retained depression severity, chronic anxiety, exercising several times a month or week, and alcohol use as predictors of migraine (odds ratios=2.1–3.5 for positive associations, odds ratios=0.4–0.9 for negative associations).
Roy R, Sánchez-Rodriguez E, Galán S, et al. Factors associated with migraine in the general population of Spain: Results from the European Health Survey 2014. Pain Med . 2019;20(3):555-563. doi:10.1093/pm/pny093.