Characterizing Migraines in College Students
Emilia Rouse, Clara Oppenheimer, and Taylor BryanFigures
- A migraine is a complex neurological condition affecting over a billion people worldwide [1]
- Since 1990, there's been a 16% increase in migraine cases around the world [2]
- Migraines can cause debilitating pain, sensory disturbances, and cognitive impairments, along with several other symptoms
- Within the workforce, migraines are estimated to cause 16% of presenteeism, leading to an estimated annual cost of $240 billion [3]
- There are few studies focused on how college students experience migraines, so we aimed to learn about how migraines appear in the Psychology 001
Methods
- PSY 001 Students s filled out online surveys through the SONASystems
- Participants
- Fall 2023: n=34 (6 M, 28 F)
- Spring 2024: n=27 (2 M, 25 F)
- Participants were asked to answer questions regarding the following measures:
- Pain Scale
- Social Consequences of Migraines
- Symptoms
- Triggers
- Medication and Self-Medication
Figure 1. Migraine Triggers for Psychology 001 Students. A survey was distributed to psychology students to explore migraine triggers. Students were asked to select any triggers they experienced. n=61 (8 M, 53 F).
3. Social Impacts of Migraines on Psychology 001 Students. A survey was distributed to psychology students to examine impacts of migraines on their social lives. Students were asked to select any of impacts they have experienced. n=61 (8 M, 53 F).
Figure 2. Migraine Symptoms of Psychology 001 Students. A surveys was distributed to psychology students to analyze migraine symptoms. Students were asked to select any symptoms they experienced. n=61 (8 M, 53 F).
Figure 4. Pain Scale of Migraines for Psychology 001 Students. A survey was distributed to psychology students to investigate how painful their migraines are on a scale of one to ten. Students were asked to select one number that correlated to their pain. n=61 (8 M, 53 F).
Results
- Stress, menstruation, large amounts of screen use, and light exposure were the most common migraine triggers
- Lightheadedness, light sensitivity, dizziness, and nausea were the most common migraine symptoms
- Numerous impacts on the social lives of students with migraines were found; the most frequent response was increased irritability
- The average level of pain among the students was a six of ten, with a range from four to nine
- Migraines are a prevalent condition in college students and must be explored further
Discussion
Based on the results of our study, we have concluded that further research is needed. In the future, we hope to:
- Comparing migraines based on gender
→ Is there a difference in frequency and prevalence?
- Further investigation into auras and the genetic link
→ Are certain symptoms and triggers for chronic migraines genetic?
Citations
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