E-ISSN 1658-7820
 

Original Article
Online Published: 15 Aug 2025
 


Prevalence of migraine headache among female medical students at Jeddah University

Mohammed Qashqary, Adnan Badahdah, Areej Sunyur, Ghadeer Aljadani, Shouq Riri, Wedad Wageh, Waad Albishri, Hanan Khard.


Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence, triggers, predictors, and educational impact of migraine headaches in female medical students at Jeddah University.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with 384 female medical students in their second to sixth academic years. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that experts in neurology and family medicine validated. The questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics, general health status, headache history, triggers, and the impact of migraines on academic performance.
Results: The prevalence of migraine-like headaches among the participants was 33.9%, with a mean onset age of 17.6 ± 2.8 years. The most common triggers of migraine included irregular sleep (53.4%), anxiety (50.0%), and emotional stress (44.9%). Symptoms, including light sensitivity (65.3%) and nausea (51.7%), were frequently reported. Most students (71.2%) did not use prescription medications, with paracetamol being the most commonly used over-the-counter treatment (61.0%). A significant correlation was observed between migraine headaches and family history, chronic diseases, and psychological factors, such as anxiety and depression (p < 0.05). Migraine headaches negatively affected academic performance, with 35.6% of students reporting an effect on their grade point average (GPA). Moreover, high pain levels were associated with low GPA scores (p-value = 0.008).
Conclusion: This study highlighted the high prevalence of migraine among female medical students at Jeddah University, which significantly affects their academic performance and quality of life. Addressing the factors of trigger migraines might help mitigate the negative impact of migraines on educational outcomes and overall well-being.

Key words: Migraine, headache, medical students, females, Saudi Arabia


 
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Pubmed Style

Qashqary M, Badahdah A, Sunyur A, Aljadani G, Riri S, Wageh W, Albishri W, Khard H. Prevalence of migraine headache among female medical students at Jeddah University. IJMDC. 2025; 9(7): 1526-1535. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1748421365


Web Style

Qashqary M, Badahdah A, Sunyur A, Aljadani G, Riri S, Wageh W, Albishri W, Khard H. Prevalence of migraine headache among female medical students at Jeddah University. https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=261168 [Access: October 13, 2025]. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1748421365


AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Qashqary M, Badahdah A, Sunyur A, Aljadani G, Riri S, Wageh W, Albishri W, Khard H. Prevalence of migraine headache among female medical students at Jeddah University. IJMDC. 2025; 9(7): 1526-1535. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1748421365



Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Qashqary M, Badahdah A, Sunyur A, Aljadani G, Riri S, Wageh W, Albishri W, Khard H. Prevalence of migraine headache among female medical students at Jeddah University. IJMDC. (2025), [cited October 13, 2025]; 9(7): 1526-1535. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1748421365



Harvard Style

Qashqary, M., Badahdah, . A., Sunyur, . A., Aljadani, . G., Riri, . S., Wageh, . W., Albishri, . W. & Khard, . H. (2025) Prevalence of migraine headache among female medical students at Jeddah University. IJMDC, 9 (7), 1526-1535. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1748421365



Turabian Style

Qashqary, Mohammed, Adnan Badahdah, Areej Sunyur, Ghadeer Aljadani, Shouq Riri, Wedad Wageh, Waad Albishri, and Hanan Khard. 2025. Prevalence of migraine headache among female medical students at Jeddah University. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 9 (7), 1526-1535. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1748421365



Chicago Style

Qashqary, Mohammed, Adnan Badahdah, Areej Sunyur, Ghadeer Aljadani, Shouq Riri, Wedad Wageh, Waad Albishri, and Hanan Khard. "Prevalence of migraine headache among female medical students at Jeddah University." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 9 (2025), 1526-1535. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1748421365



MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Qashqary, Mohammed, Adnan Badahdah, Areej Sunyur, Ghadeer Aljadani, Shouq Riri, Wedad Wageh, Waad Albishri, and Hanan Khard. "Prevalence of migraine headache among female medical students at Jeddah University." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 9.7 (2025), 1526-1535. Print. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1748421365



APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Qashqary, M., Badahdah, . A., Sunyur, . A., Aljadani, . G., Riri, . S., Wageh, . W., Albishri, . W. & Khard, . H. (2025) Prevalence of migraine headache among female medical students at Jeddah University. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 9 (7), 1526-1535. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1748421365





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