Migraine and Tension Type Headaches among the Medical Staffs in Sina Hospital, Tehran, Iran

Headache is one of the most common pain syndromes in humans, which can lead to social and occupational dysfunctions. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of migraine and tension type headache (TTH) among the staffs of Sina Hospital, Tehran, Iran and its relationship with socio-demographic variables as well as psychological factors.
This analytical observational study was conducted in 590 employees of Sina Hospital in Tehran, Iran using a randomized sampling method. The prevalence of migraine and TTH was evaluated in relation to psychological and socio-demographic variables. Required information was collected through a questionnaire and the diagnosis of the type of headache was confirmed by a neurologist.
The total prevalence of headaches within our study population was 129 cases among 590 subjects (21.8%), of which 58 (9.8%) subjects were migraineurs, 67 (11.3%) subjects had TTH, and 4 (0.67%) people had both TTH and migraine. These headaches were significantly higher in nurses, staffs with a bachelor's degree or above, staffs with an average daily working hours of more than 8 hours, and staffs working in the morning shift. TTH had also a significant relationship with psychological characteristics, such as depression, fatigue, and job dissatisfaction. Job absenteeism, referral to physicians, and inability to do routine works during their headache periods were significantly higher in staffs with migraine headaches compared to TTH.
TTH and migraine headaches had a significant relationship with the type of job, educational levels, and type of work shifts. In addition, migraine headaches had more negative effects on the quality of work compared to TTH.