Prevalence of headache in the entire population of a small city in Brazil: Brief communication

Objective. - To estimate the 1-year prevalence of headache, using face-to-face interviews of the entire population of a city in Brazil. Methods. - This was a cross-sectional, population-based study. We conducted face-to-face interviews of all individuals older than 10 years, in a town (Capela Nova) in Brazil. Prevalence of the headache was estimated using prevalence ratios, adjusted by gender, age, marital status, and level education. Results. - The estimated 1-year prevalence of any headache was 65.4%. Headache was 1.5 times more prevalent in women and individuals aged 20 and 29, but less prevalent in the elderly and divorced. There was not association with the level of education. Conclusions. - From a public healthcare perspective, headache should be seen as hypertension and diabetes, and actively screened and treated.