Factors Associated with Migraine in the General Population of Spain: Results from the European Health Survey 2014

Objective To identify the modifiable and nonmodifiable variables that are associated with and might moderate the presence of migraine in the general population. Design Nationally representative cross-sectional survey. Setting Noninstitutionalized population of Spain. Subjects Individuals aged 15years or older (N=22,842). Methods A secondary analysis of data from the second wave of the European Health Interview Survey conducted in Spain (2014/2015). We estimated the prevalence of migraine and its distribution according to the study variables, and then built a multivariate logistic model encompassing age, sex, depression severity, chronic anxiety, body mass index, physical activity, smoking status, alcohol use, and perceived social support to predict migraine. Results The one-year prevalence of migraine was 8%. The final multivariate model (Wald (2)=693.00, df=15, P< 0.001) retained depression severity, chronic anxiety, exercising several times a month or week, and alcohol use as predictors of migraine (odds ratios = 2.1-3.5 for positive associations, odds ratios = 0.4-0.9 for negative associations). Conclusions Raising awareness among clinicians regarding the fact that many of the variables that potentially contribute to the presence of migraine are modifiable (e.g., psychological problems and lifestyle behaviors) might intensify resources dedicated to assessing and impacting these factors in order to potentially prevent the frequency and severity of migraine.