Associated factors of headache in an unstudied cohort of elderly subjects

BACKGROUND Headache and depression are prevalent among general population. The aim of this study was to determine the associated factors of headache in elderly subjects with emphasis to depression. METHODS All cohort of elderly individuals of the Amirkola Health Study Project were included. Data regarding several clinical and demographic characteristics were provided via fill in quesstionnaire, interview and clinical examination. Presence and duration as well as severity of headache were collected through an interview based on self-reported data. Diagnosis of depression was confirmed according to standard Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) criteria. In statistical analyses chi-square test with logistic regression analysis was used for association. RESULTS A total of 832 men and 667 women aged >/= 60 years old were studied. Headache and depression were diagnosed in 42% and 42.4% respectively. In depressed subjects, headache was significantly higher by OR=3.1(95% CI, 2.5-3.83, P=0.001). Proportions of headache increased by severity of depression with a dose-response pattern of relationship from 53.3% in mild depression to 72.6% in severe depression. The magnitude of OR for headache increased from 2.59 (95% CI, 2.03-3.31) in patients with mild depression to 6.04 (95% CI, 3.54-10.3) in patients with severe depression. After adjustment for all covariates, headache was significantly associated with female gender and back pain as well as with depression with a significant dose-response relationship. CONCLUSION The findings of this study indicated an independent association between headache and psychological factors in elderly subjects, particularly in women.