Abstract
Objectives
The present study examines the prevalence of headache in early adolescents in 21 European and North-American countries and the role of perceived teacher unfairness in predicting this health complaint across different countries.
Methods
Data were taken from the “Health Behaviour in School-aged Children” study (HBSC), a World Health Organization cross-national survey on health behaviors in 11-, 13- and 15-year-old students. Headache and perceived teacher unfairness were measured through a self-administered questionnaire filled out by 115,212 adolescents.
Results
The overall prevalence of frequent headaches (at least once a week) was 28.8%, ranging from 18.9% in Slovenia to 49.4% in Israel. After adjusting for gender, grade, family affluence, school achievement, being bullied and lifestyles (drinking, smoking, eating and physical activity), teacher unfairness showed a significant association with frequent headache in all but two countries (Ukraine and Luxembourg).
Conclusions
Our results show that headache is a common health symptom in European and North-American countries, even though there are substantial differences in its prevalence across countries. The study indicates that perceived teacher unfairness can be a significant predictor of frequent headache during adolescence, and this association is consistent across countries.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
The Teacher and Classmate Support Scale measures the level of adolescent perceived support from teachers and classmates. The item “Our teachers treat us fairly” was selected from the complete scale because it measures the perception of being treated fairly by teachers, based on past studies (e.g. Santinello et al. 2009).
References
Aarø LE, Wold B, Kannas L, Rimpelä M (1986) Health behaviour in schoolchildren. A WHO cross-national survey. Health Promot 1:17–33. doi:10.1093/heapro/1.1.17
Anttila P (2006) Tension-type headache in childhood and adolescence. Lancet Neurol 5(3):268–274. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(06)70376-3
Belmaker E, Espinoza R, Pogrund R (1985) Use of medical services by adolescents with nonspecific somatic symptoms. Int J Adolesc Med Health 1:150–156
Cavallini A, Micieli G, Bussone G, Rossi F, Nappi G (1995) Headache and quality of life. Headache 35:29–35. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.1995.hed3501030.x
Chong SC, Chan YH, Ong HT, Low PS, Tay SK (2010) Headache diagnosis, disability and co morbidities in a multi-ethnic, heterogeneous paediatric Asian population. Cephalalgia 30(8):953–961. doi:10.1177/0333102409356327
Cooper SB, Bandelow S, Nevill ME (2011) Breakfast consumption and cognitive function in adolescent schoolchildren. Physiol Behav 103(5):431–439. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.03.018.ISSN:0031-9384
Currie C, Samdal O, Boyce W, Smith R (2002) Health Behaviour in School-aged Children: a WHO Cross-National Study. Research Protocol for the 2001/2002 Survey. University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
Currie C, Molcho M, Boyce W, Holstein B, Torsheim T, Richter M (2008a) Researching health inequalities in adolescents: the development of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Family Affluence Scale. Soc Sci Med 66(6):1429–1436. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.11.024
Currie C, Nic Gabhainn S, Godeau E et al (2008b) Inequalities in young people’s health: Health Behaviour in School-aged Children International Report from the 2005/2006 Survey. Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
De Vogli R, Ferrie JE, Chandola T, Kivimäki M, Marmot MG (2007) Unfairness and health: evidence from the Whitehall II Study. J Epidemiol Community Health 61:513–518. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.052563
Due P, Holstein BE, Lynch J, Diderichsen F, Gabhain SN, Scheidt P, Currie C (2005) Bullying and symptoms among school-aged children: international comparative cross sectional study in 28 countries. Eur J Public Health 15(2):128–132. doi:10.1093/eurpub/cki105
Eikemo TA, Bambra C, Joyce K, Dahl E (2008) Welfare state regimes and income-related health inequalities: a comparison of 23 European countries. Eur J Public Health 18(6):593–599. doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckn092
Eme R (1979) Sex differences in childhood psychopathology: a review. Psychol Bull 86:574–595. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.86.3.574
Fichtel A, Larsson B (2002) Psychosocial impact of headache and comorbidity with other pains among Swedish school adolescents. Headache 42:766–775. doi:10.1046/j.1526-4610.2002.02178.x
Gaßmann J, Morris L, Heinrich M, Kröner-Herwig B (2008) One-year course of paediatric headache in children and adolescents aged 8–15 years. Cephalalgia 28:1154–1162. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2982.2008.01657.x
Ghandour RM, Overpeck MD, Huang ZJ, Kogan MD, Scheidt PC (2004) Headache, stomachache, backache, and morning fatigue among adolescent girls in the United States: associations with behavioral, sociodemographic, and environmental factors. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158(8):797–803
Gini G (2004) Bullying in Italian schools: an overview of intervention programmes. School Psychol Int 25(1):106–116. doi:10.1177/0143034304028042
Gini G, Pozzoli T (2009) Association between bullying and psychosomatic problems: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics 123:1059–1065. doi:10.1542/peds.2008-1215
Haugland S, Wold B (2001) Subjective health complaints in adolescence. Reliability and validity of survey methods. J Adolesc 24:611–624. doi:10.1006/jado.2000.0393
Hjern A, Alfven G, Őstberg V (2008) School stressors, psychological complaints and psychosomatic pain. Acta Paediatr 97:112–117. doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00585.x
Holstein BE, Currie C, Boyce W, Mogens T, Damsgaard MT, Gobina I, Kökönyei G, Hetland J, de Looze M, Richter M, Due P (2009) Socio-economic inequality in multiple health complaints among adolescents: international comparative study in 37 countries. Int J Public Health 54:260–270. doi:10.1007/s00038-009-5418-4
Karin-Natvig G, Albrektsen G, Qvarnstrom U (2001) Psychosomatic symptoms among victims of school bullying. J Health Psychol 6:365–377. doi:10.1177/135910530100600401
Kraemer S (2000) The fragile male. BMJ 321:1609–1612. doi:10.1016/0304-3959(93)90057-V
Milde-Busch A, Blaschek A, Borggräfe I, Heinen F, Straube A, von Kries R (2010) Associations of diet and lifestyle with headache in high-school students: results from a cross-sectional study. Headache 50(7):1104–1114. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.2010.01706.x
Millstein SG (1993) A view of health from the adolescent’s perspective. In: Millstein M, Petersen A, Nightingale EO (eds) Promoting the health of adolescents. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 97–118
Nicholson RA, Houle TT, Rhudy JL, Norton PJ (2007) Psychological risk factors in headache. Headache 47:413–426. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.2006.00716.x
Ofovwe GE, Ofili AN (2010) Prevalence and impact of headache and migraine among secondary school students in Nigeria. Headache 50(10):1570–1575. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.2010.01776.x
Olweus D (1993) Bullying at school: what we know, what we can do. Blackwell, Oxford
Perquin CW, Hazebroek-Kampschreur AAJM, Hunfeld JAM, Bohnen AM, Suijlekom-Smit LWA, Passchier J, van der Wouden JC (2000) Pain in children and adolescents: a common experience. Pain 7:51–58. doi:10.1016/S0304-3959(00)00269-4
Powers SV, Kruglag Gilman D, Hershey AD (2006) Headache and psychological functioning in children and adolescents. Headache 46:1404–1415
Rasmussen BK (1993) Migraine and tension-type headache in a general population: precipitating factors, females hormones, sleep pattern and relation to life-style. Pain 53:65–72
Rhee H (2000) Prevalence and predictors of headaches in US adolescents. Headache 40:528–538. doi:10.1046/j.1526-4610.2000.00084.x
Roberts C, Freeman J, Samdal O, Schnohr CW, de Looze ME, Nic Gabhainn S, Iannotti R, Rasmussen M, The International HBSC Study Group (2009) The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study: methodological developments and current tensions. Int J Public Health 54:140–150. doi:10.1007/s00038-009-5405-9
Rudd RE, Walsh DC (1993) Schools as healthful environments: prerequisite to comprehensive school health? Prev Med 22:499–506. doi:10.1006/pmed.1993.1042
Santinello M, Vieno A, De Vogli R (2009) Primary headache in Italian early adolescents: the role of perceived teacher unfairness. Headache 49:366–374. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.2008.01208.x
Torsheim T, Wold B, Samdal O (2000) The Teacher and Classmate Support scale: factor structure, test–retest reliability and validity in samples of 13- and 15-year-old adolescents. Sch Psychol Int 21:195–212. doi:10.1177/0143034300212006
Tsang A, Von Korff M, Lee S, Alonso J, Karam E, Angermeyer MC, Borges GL, Bromet EJ, De Girolamo G, de Graaf R, Gureje O, Lepine JP, Haro JM, Levinson D, Oakley Browne MA, Posada-Villa J, Seedat S, Watanabe M (2008) Common chronic pain conditions in developed and developing countries: gender and age differences and comorbidity with depression–anxiety disorders. J Pain 9(10):883–891. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2008.05.005
Tsutsumi A, Kawakami N (2004) A review of empirical studies on the model of effort-reward imbalance at work: reducing occupational stress by implementing a new theory. Soc Sci Med 59:2335–2359
Ursin H (1997) Sensitization, somatization, and subjective health complaints. Int J Behav Med 4:105–116. doi:10.1207/s15327558ijbm0402_1
Vieno A, Perkins DD, Smith TM, Santinello M (2005) Democratic school climate and sense of community in school: a multilevel analysis. Am J Comm Psychol 36:327–341. doi:10.1007/s10464-005-8629-8
Vieno A, Santinello M, Pastore M, Perkins DD (2007) Social support, sense of community in school, and self-efficacy as resources during early adolescence: an integrative, developmentally oriented model. Am J Community Psychol 39:177–190. doi:10.1007/s10464-007-9095-2
Wendorf CA, Alexander S (2005) The influence of individual and class-level fairness-related perceptions on student satisfaction. Contemp Ed Psychol 30:190–206. doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2004.07.003
Acknowledgments
HBSC is an international study carried out in collaboration with WHO/EURO. The international coordinator of the 2001–2002 and 2005–2006 study was Candace Currie, University of Edinburgh, Scotland; and the data bank manager was Oddrun Samdal, University of Bergen, Norway.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lenzi, M., Vieno, A., De Vogli, R. et al. Perceived teacher unfairness and headache in adolescence: a cross-national comparison. Int J Public Health 58, 227–235 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0345-1
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0345-1