Prevalence and factors associated with headache in patients in a municipality in southwest baiano

Abstract

Introduction. Headache is one of the most common complaints in medical practice, affecting almost all people at least once throughout their lives and presenting several clinical and epidemiological relationships. However, it is largely under-diagnosed and under-treated. Objective. To evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with headache in patients from a municipality in southwestern Bahia (Guanambi). Method. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study with quantitative field analyses. The sample consisted of 395 participants of both genders, selected at random. For data collection, a questionnaire with direct and objective questions was used, which aimed to collect data related to the interests of this research. Data were processed in SPSS and Microsoft Office Excel software to represent the results obtained. Results. It was observed that in the city of Guanambi-Ba there is a higher prevalence of headache in female individuals and with a tendency to increase with advancing age. On the one hand, family stress, hunger, specific timing of the menstrual cycle and lack of coffee have been shown to influence the onset of pain. On the other hand, cell phone use does not have a clear pattern of influence. Conclusion. These results will contribute to the understanding of clinical and epidemiological factors associated with patients with headache. In this way, they can help in the construction of public policies aimed at this disease and, consequently, better understanding of patients about its involvement.