Canadian adolescents with migraine: Impaired health-related quality of life

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of migraine headaches on health-related quality of life among Canadian adolescents. The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) collects information related to health status, health care utilization, and health determinants for the Canadian population. Analysis was limited to those adolescents 12-19 years of age residing in Manitoba. Respondents reported whether they had migraine and mood/anxiety disorders. Health-related quality of life was measured using the Short Form-36 survey, which covers 8 health concepts related to functional status, well-being, and overall health. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to model each Short Form-36 scale against age (12-14 years vs 15-19 years), gender, migraine, and the presence of a mood or anxiety disorder. The CCHS was completed by 994 respondents; 9.3% (95% confidence interval, 7.3%-11.5%) reported a diagnosis of migraine. Reported migraine predicted both statistically (P < .0001) and clinically significantly lower health-related quality of life in all Short Form-36 domains except vitality and general health perceptions. Adolescents reporting a mood disorder (2.1%) scored significantly lower in 6 of 8 health-related quality of life domains, most pronounced for emotional role, general mental health, and social functioning. Canadian adolescents with migraine report clinically and statistically significant impairment in health-related quality of life compared to their peers, independent of psychiatric comorbidities.