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Correspondence to Author: Lamya A A Darwish ^1,2, Kareem Al Tameemi² , Abdul Amir H. Kadhum ³ , Mujtaba Badee Salih ⁴ , Hussien Hasan AlSherifi ⁵ , Ali Hamid Shihab⁶ , Qamar Ahmed Bader⁷. 

1. College of Medicine, University of Al-Ameed, Karbala, Iraq, Email: [email protected]: orcid: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6229-9254
2. Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kerbala University, Iraq. Email: [email protected]
3. College of Medicine, University of Al-Ameed. Karbala, Iraq, Email: [email protected], orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4074-9123.
4. College of Medicine, University of Al-Ameed, Karbala, Iraq, orcid : https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4236-7257
5. College of Medicine, University of Al-Ameed, Karbala, Iraq orcid: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2138-9074
6. College of Medicine, University of Al-Ameed, Karbala, Iraq orcid: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6749-9359
7. College of Medicine, University of Al-Ameed, Email: [email protected]:: orcid : https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4475-0943

DOI: 10.52338/tajoph.2026.5725

Abstract:

Background: Headache is one of the most common complaints during the medical curriculum and occurs due to numerous psychological and physical stressors, which are more prevalent among medical students than in the general population. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency, characteristics, and types of headaches, as well as their precipitating and associated variables among medical students.
Aim: Headache is among the commonest complaints in medical students it could be due to many physical or psychological stressors The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of headache among male and female medical students
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Al-Ameed University Faculty of Medicine and Kerbala University Faculty of Medicine from October 2023 to February 2025. First- to sixth-year medical students who had experienced some form of headache in their lifetime and had headache attacks during the past 6 months were included. All participants completed a structured checklist covering demographic data, associated factors, and headache characteristics. Medical stages were classified into three groups: Group 1 (first and second years), Group 2 (third and fourth years), and Group 3 (fifth and sixth years) to assess significant differences in headache characteristics among them
Results: A total of 624 students from two medical colleges in Kerbala province, Iraq, were included: 298 males (47.8%) and 326 females (52.2%). Overall, 47.5% of students reported headaches starting after an accident, illness, or infection, suggesting potential external triggers (26% males, 39.5% females). The majority of headaches were subacute (44.2%), lasting 4–8 weeks, while 42.6% were acute (<4 weeks). Chronic headaches (>3 months) were less common (13.2%). The most common precipitating factor was stress and anxiety (55.9%), followed by fatigue (55.1%) and loud noises (47.4%). No significant relationship was found between headache and foods or medications. Headache was most frequently described as tightness (49%) or throbbing (30.9%). Notably, neuroimaging was performed in 37.1% of patients without clear indications. Several headache characteristics were significantly associated with all stages of study, while others were significantly associated with gender
Conclusion:Headache is very common among medical students, with a prevalence exceeding 50%. Most headaches fall into the subacute category and do not require neuroimaging or extensive investigations. The most striking findings were stress, anxiety, and fatigue as precipitating factors. Furthermore, certain headache characteristics are significantly associated with the level of stress across all study stages. Females were more susceptible to headache, with significant associations between many headache characteristics and gender across different stages of study. We recommend providing mentor educators for all students and establishing a center to address mental, social, and medical issues for all students in medical colleges, given the high burden of stress and long study hours that accompany this burden..

Keywords: Headache, stress, anxiety, medical students, prevalence

Citation:

Dr. Abdul Amir H. Kadhum, Prevalence Of Headache Among Medical Student. The American Journal of Public Health 2026.