@article {Khairoalsindi308, author = {Osama A. Khairoalsindi and Wael K. Saber and Nizar A. Althubaiti and Elaf F. Alshareef and Mohammed A. Almekhlafi}, title = {Primary headache characters and coping strategies among medical students of Umm Al-Qura University in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia}, volume = {23}, number = {4}, pages = {308--313}, year = {2018}, doi = {10.17712/nsj.2018.4.20180256}, publisher = {Neurosciences Journal}, abstract = {Objectives: To assess the headache patterns among medical students of Umm Al-Qura College of Medicine, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Medical students represent a vulnerable group for primary headache disorders, as they are exposed to various physical and psychological stressors.Methods: We carried an observational, cross-sectional study, and collected data during February, 2017 using electronic questionnaires. The international classification of headache disorders, third edition (ICHD-3) beta edition was used to classify headache into 10 types.Results: A total of 623 responses (82.2\%) were received out of 758 participants. The one-year headache prevalence was 558 (89.6\%). The most common diagnosis among both genders was frequent tension-type headache (TTH) (n=173, 31.0\%), followed by probable infrequent TTH (n=114, 20.4\%) and probable frequent TTH (n=63, 11.3\%).The greatest proportions of students who reported an impact of their academic level were found among the chronic TTH, migraine without and with aura (n=2, 40.0\%; n=14, 34.4\%; n=11, 33.3\%). Migraine without aura was more prevalent among females (n=29, 10.5\%) than males (n=10, 3.5\%). Self-medication was common (62.5\%-100.0\%). Simple analgesics (67.4\%-80.0\%), sleeping (54.3\%-80.0\%) and caffeine intake (28.3\%-60.0\%) were the top 3 therapies that were practiced.Conclusion: The prevalence of headache among Umm Al-Qura university (UQU), Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia{\textquoteright}s medical students appears higher than the prevalence among the general population. This may have a significant impact on academic performance and necessitates special attention. We recommend further studies on interventions to reduce the prevalence and impact of this prevalent problem.}, URL = {https://nsj.org.sa/content/23/4/308}, eprint = {https://nsj.org.sa/content/23/4/308.full.pdf}, journal = {Neurosciences Journal} }