Abstract:
Objectives. The objective of the research is to study the prevalence and medico-social aspects of primary headaches in urban adolescents in the
Republic of Moldova. Material and methods. The study has included 500 schoolchildren aged 14-19 from different schools in Chisinau, the capital of
Moldova. We have developed a special questionnaire made of 13 chapters and including 101 questions. The headache diagnosis has been established
based on the ICHD-II (2004) and ICHD-IIR (2006) criteria. The study has been conducted during a six-month period. The data have been analyzed
using the SPSS software. Rezults. The present study has found a high rate of prevalence of primary headaches in adolescents in the urban area of
the Republic of Moldova: migraine – 28.5%, tension-type headache – 44.4%, chronic headaches – 18.6% (chronic migraine – 11.5%, chronic tensiontype headache – 7.1%). The analysis of the impact of extracurricular activities on the headaches denotes the amplification of this phenomenon when
studying foreign languages, music and, in particular, attending art schools as well as in the case of lack of extracurricular activities. Practicing dances
and, especially, sports, decreases significantly the frequency of primary headaches. The deterioration of the family situation (a family of an incomplete
type or tutelage) increases significantly the rate of primary headaches in adolescents. Conclusions. The present study for the first time in Moldova
demonstrates that a headache in adolescents is a major public health problem, the fact that is confirmed by its very high level of incidence (67.6%) and
prevalence (migraine – 28.5%, tension-type headache – 44.4%, chronic headache – 18.6%).
