For each of these sources, we identified the best and most recent relevant prevalence and related information about headache and migraine. The data sources used for this review are the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). NHIS, NHANES, NAMCS, and NHAMCS are all conducted by the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the data for the NHIS, NAMCS, and Tanespimycin clinical trial NHAMCS were obtained from the CDC’s online reports, whereas the NHANES data are from a published peer-reviewed
analysis that was the only publication of migraine data from NHANES within the time period covered by our review. We compare results from these studies to the most recent data generated by the only longitudinal US study of headache epidemiology, the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) study. A brief description of the methods and characteristics of each of these studies follows. Their key features are summarized in the Table. NHANES is conducted annually by the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC and Prevention to obtain information about the noninstitutionalized US civilian population.
The survey uses a stratified, multistage probability sampling design. Trained lay interviewers administer a face-to-face interview in the participants’ homes, and respondents later have a physical examination in a mobile unit. Details about sampling and weighting methods are available at the website Selleckchem EGFR inhibitor of the National Center for Health Statistics.[3] The survey includes standardized questions on a variety of topics including medical conditions, physical function, and health care use, click here as well as detailed sociodemographic details. Information about headache is collected during the portion of the interview regarding miscellaneous pain, which is administered to participants who are 20 or older. Specifically, participants are asked whether they have experienced “severe headaches or migraine” during the past 3 months. Information
about physical conditions is obtained using a standard chronic condition checklist, a method used in many studies conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. It is important to note that this information is self-reported. The NHIS is a cross-sectional study of the US population that, like the NHANES, uses structured interviews to obtain self-reported health information.[4] It has been conducted yearly since 1957. The sampling plan is designed to representatively sample households and “non-institutional group quarters” (such as dormitories). Sample geographic areas are selected and addresses within those geographic areas are selected for interview. Black, Hispanic, and Asian persons are oversampled at both the geographic and household levels.