Weekend Headaches in School-Age Children

Abstract

Children commonly encounter primary headaches, with various factors playing a role in their onset. The daily routine notably contributes to the occurrence of primary headaches in children. This study aims to profile children experiencing headaches on weekends (WH) in comparison to those primarily having headaches midweek (MWH). Out of 109 children visiting a pediatric headache clinic, 60 prospectively filled out questionnaires regarding their headaches. The average age was 11.8 years, and 63% were of female sex. Most of the children suffered from migraine headaches (60%), while the rest suffered from tension-type headaches (TTH, 15%), mixed headaches (17%), or undetermined headaches (8%). None of the children suffered from a headache only on the weekend. In contrast, 14 (23%) children suffered from a headache exclusively in midweek. Children with learning difficulties were similarly distributed between the WH and the MWH groups (48% and 52%, respectively). Children without learning difficulties suffered significantly more from MWH compared to WH (79% vs. 21%, respectively). In conclusion, children did not suffer from WH alone. Self-reported triggers were not significantly different in WH and MWH patients. Proper profiling of headache types and triggers may lead to more accurate management of these patients.