Validity, reliabillity and application of the Taiwan version of the migraine disability assessment questionnaire

Background/Purpose: The seven-item Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire is a simple and useful tool for evaluating migraine-related disability. The goals of this study were: (1) to test the reliability and validity of the Taiwan version of the MIDAS (MIDAS-T) questionnaire, and (2) to measure the impact of migraine among Taiwanese patients in a headache clinic. Methods: Consecutive migraine patients, aged 20-50 years, visiting the headache clinic at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital were invited to participate in the study. They completed the MIDAS-T and a form, which collected headache-related information including characteristics and impact on their lives. Of them, about 30 patients were randomly invited to repeat the MIDAS-T 3 weeks later. Results: A total of 281 migraine patients (M/F, 63/218; mean age, 35.27 8.21 years) participated in the study. Of them, 31 completed the MIDAS-T again 3 weeks later. MIDAS-T showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach alpha=0.79), test-retest reliability (r=0.67) and criterion validity (r=0.37 for question A [headache frequency] and r=0.34 for question B [headache intensity], p < 0.001). The mean score of migraine patients on MIDAS-T was 34.21 +/- 45.90, ranging from 0 to 265. MIDAS grade I (score 0-5) was found in 22% of patients, grade II (6-10) in 15%, grade III (11-20) in 17%, and grade IV (>= 21) in 46%. Conclusion: This study supports the reliability and validity of MIDAS-T for use in Taiwanese patients. Almost half of the migraine patients were classified as having severe disability (grade IV).