The prevalence of headache and psychosocial factors associated among medical students in a university of northeast Brazil/A prevalencia de cefaleia e fatores psicossociais associados em estudantes de medicina no Ceara

Introduction: Headache is a condition that impacts negatively the patients' quality of life. The medical course is a known generator of exhaustion and, according to the literature, stressors are more common in medical students (MS) than in the general population, which can trigger a headache. These stressors can be intensified in periods that precede the tests due to changes in sleep and in study habits, with a possible relation with the appearance of primary headache. Objective: To associate the presence of primary headache in MS during periods of tests and to relate to psychosocial factors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on the application of two questionnaires to a sample of 219 MS from the 1st to the 8th semester of a university in Northeast Brazil. The first questionnaire related headache with psychosocial factors in periods of tests. The second questionnaire: HSQ-DV, was used for the diagnosis of migraine and tension-type headache (TTH). Results: 98% of MS reported having experienced headache. The prevalence of TTH and migraine was 61.9% and 18.1%, respectively, higher than the average for the general population. Students with migraine have more attacks before tests, self-medicate more, ingest more psychostimulants, are more anxious, more depressed, more sedentary, more stressed, and sleep less than those with TTH. Conclusion: In fact, MS are a risk group for the development of headache, thus deserving a greater emphasis of scientific research on primary headaches in this group. Keywords: Headache; Migraine disorders; Tension-type headache; Students, medical; Psychosocial impact; Self medication. Introducao: A cefaleia e uma afeccao que impacta negativamente a qualidade de vida da pessoa. O curso de medicina e reconhecidamente um gerador de esgotamento e, de acordo com a literatura, fatores estressantes sao mais comuns em alunos de medicina que na populacao em geral, podendo desencadear a cefaleia. Esses fatores estressores podem ser intensificados em periodos que antecedem as provas devido a mudancas nos habitos de sono e de estudo, havendo uma possivel relacao com o surgimento de cefaleias primarias. Objetivo: Avaliar a prevalencia de cefaleia primaria nos estudantes de medicina (EM) em periodos de provas e relacionar com fatores psicossociais. Metodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal, baseado na aplicacao de dois questionarios a uma amostra de 219 EM do 1 ao 8 semestre de uma universidade no interior do Ceara. Um questionario rel