Impact of Individual Headache Types on the Work and Work Efficiency of Headache Sufferers

Svetlana Simić, Tamara Rabi-Žikić, José R. Villar, José Luis Calvo-Rolle, Dragan Simić and Svetislav D. Simić
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Svetlana Simić: Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Tamara Rabi-Žikić: Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
José R. Villar: Faculty of Geology, Campus de Llamaquique, University of Oviedo, 33005 Oviedo, Spain
José Luis Calvo-Rolle: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of A Coruña, 15405 Ferrol-A Coruña, Spain
Dragan Simić: Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Svetislav D. Simić: Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-9

Abstract: Background: Headaches have not only medical but also great socioeconomic significance, therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the overall impact of headaches on a patient’s life, including their work and work efficiency. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of individual headache types on work and work efficiency. Methods : This research was designed as a cross-sectional study performed by administering a questionnaire among employees. The questionnaire consisted of general questions, questions about headache features, and questions about the impact of headaches on work. Results : Monthly absence from work was mostly represented by migraine sufferers (7.1%), significantly more than with sufferers with tension-type headaches (2.23%; p = 0.019) and other headache types (2.15%; p = 0.025). Migraine sufferers (30.2%) worked in spite of a headache for more than 25 h, which was more frequent than with sufferers from tension-type and other-type headaches (13.4%). On average, headache sufferers reported work efficiency ranging from 66% to 90%. With regard to individual headache types, this range was significantly more frequent in subjects with tension-type headaches, whereas 91–100% efficiency was significantly more frequent in subjects with other headache types. Lower efficiency, i.e., 0–40% and 41–65%, was significantly more frequent with migraine sufferers. Conclusions : Headaches, especially migraines, significantly affect the work and work efficiency of headache sufferers by reducing their productivity. Loss is greater due to reduced efficiency than due to absenteeism.

Keywords: working population; headache burden; migraine; tension-type headache (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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