For children and teens, irregular eating, such as skipping breakfast, is associated with an increased risk of frequent headaches, according to a new study published online February 28, 2024. neurology®, Medical Journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study also found that substance use and exposure, particularly electronic cigarettes (vaping), was associated with more frequent headaches in the 12- to 17-year-old age group.
In this study, frequent headaches were defined as occurring more than once a week.
While it's not uncommon for children and teens to have headaches, and medications are sometimes used to stop or prevent headaches, lifestyle changes can also help prevent headaches from occurring. It can be an effective mitigation tool to prevent and improve quality of life. ”
Serena L. Orr, MD, MSc, Research Author, University of Calgary
The study included approximately 5 million children and teens aged 5 to 17 who participated in a large Canadian health study. They were asked if they had experienced headaches in the past 6 months and how often. Approximately 6% of participants had headaches at least once a week.
The survey asked about several lifestyle factors, including screen time, sleep hours, and diet. Anxiety and mood disorders were assessed. Participants between the ages of 12 and 17 were also asked about substance use and exposure.
Regarding meals, participants reported the number of times they had eaten breakfast and the number of times they sat down to eat dinner with their family in the past week, for a total of 14 possible times. Children who experienced frequent headaches ate an average of nine such meals, while children who had headaches less than once a week ate an average of 12 such meals.
After adjusting for factors such as age, gender, household income, and other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that participants who regularly ate breakfast as well as dinner with their families were significantly less likely to eat regular meals. They found that they had an 8% lower risk of having frequent headaches than the participants. .
Participants between the ages of 12 and 17 were also asked how often they used substances such as alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, and marijuana. 8% of participants with frequent headaches used e-cigarettes daily, compared with 3% of participants with headaches less than once a week. Additionally, 79% of participants with frequent headaches had not used e-cigarettes in the past month, compared with 88% of participants who did not have frequent headaches.
After adjusting for age, gender, household income, and other lifestyle factors, researchers found that people who used e-cigarettes daily were twice as likely to have frequent headaches than those who never used e-cigarettes. I discovered that.
After making similar adjustments, the researchers found no association between sleep, screen time, or other drug use with headaches.
Participants with anxiety or mood disorders were twice as likely to have frequent headaches as those without.
“We evaluated anxiety and mood disorders because they are associated with headaches and can influence lifestyle behaviors,” Orr said. “Regular family meals can increase bonding and communication within the family, leading to improved mental health and, in turn, influencing headache frequency.”
Orr added: “Our findings suggest that asking about lifestyle factors, such as substance abuse, can help health professionals identify lifestyle interventions that may be beneficial to young people and may help reduce frequent headaches.” This suggests that it may be useful for
A limitation of this study was that it did not include children and teens living in children's homes or institutions, or on Indigenous reserves or other Indigenous settlements in Canada.
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American Academy of Neurology
