Abstract

Background

Cluster headaches (CH) are recurrent severe headaches, which impose a major burden on the life of patients. We investigated the impact of CH on employment status and job burden.

Methods

The study was a sub-study of the Korean Cluster Headache Registry. Patients with CH were enrolled from September 2016 to February 2018 from 15 headache clinics in Korea. We also enrolled a headache control group with age-sex matched patients with migraine or tension-type headache. Moreover, a control group including individuals without headache complaints was recruited. All participants responded to a questionnaire that included questions on employment status, type of occupation, working time, sick leave, reductions in productivity, and satisfaction with current occupation. The questionnaire was administered to participants who were currently employed or had previous occupational experience.

Results

We recruited 143 patients with CH, 38 patients with other types of headache (migraine or tension-type headache), and 52 headache-free controls. The proportion of employees was lower in the CH group compared with the headache and headache-free control groups (CH: 67.6% vs. headache controls: 84.2% vs. headache-free controls: 96.2%; p = 0.001). The CH group more frequently experienced difficulties at work and required sick leave than the other groups (CH: 84.8% vs. headache controls: 63.9% vs. headache-free controls: 36.5%; p <  0.001; CH: 39.4% vs. headache controls: 13.9% vs. headache-free controls: 3.4%; p <  0.001). Among the patients with CH, sick leave was associated with younger age at CH onset (25.8 years vs. 30.6 years, p = 0.014), severity of pain rated on a visual analogue scale (9.3 vs. 8.8, p = 0.008), and diurnal periodicity during the daytime (p = 0.003). There were no significant differences with respect to the sick leave based on sex, age, CH subtypes, and CH recurrence.

Conclusions

CH might be associated with employment status. Most patients with CH experienced substantial burdens at work.

Details

Title
Impact of cluster headache on employment status and job burden: a prospective cross-sectional multicenter study
Author
Yun-Ju, Choi 1 ; Byung-Kun, Kim 2 ; Chung, Pil-Wook 3 ; Mi Ji Lee 4 ; Park, Jung-Wook 5 ; Chu, Min Kyung 6 ; Jin-Young, Ahn 7 ; Byung-Su, Kim 8 ; Tae-Jin, Song 9 ; Sohn, Jong-Hee 10 ; Oh, Kyungmi 11 ; Lee, Kwang-Soo 12 ; Soo-Kyoung Kim 13 ; Park, Kwang-Yeol 14 ; Chung, Jae Myun 15 ; Heui-Soo Moon 3 ; Chin-Sang, Chung 4 ; Soo-Jin, Cho 16 

 Department of Neurology, Presbyterian Medical Center, Jeonju, South Korea 
 Department of Neurology, Eulji Hospital, Seoul, South Korea 
 Department of Neurology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea 
 Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea 
 Department of Neurology, Uijeongbu St.Mary’s Hospital, Uijeongbu, South Korea 
 Department of Neurology, Severance Hospital, Seoul, South Korea 
 Department of Neurology, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea 
 Department of Neurology, Bundang Jesaeng General Hospital, Daejin Medical Center, Seongnam, South Korea 
 Department of Neurology, Ewha Womans University of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea 
10  Department of Neurology, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon, South Korea 
11  Department of Neurology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea 
12  Department of Neurology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea 
13  Department of Neurology and Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju, South Korea 
14  Department of Neurology, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea 
15  Department of Neurology, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea 
16  Department of Neurology, Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea 
Pages
1-8
Publication year
2018
Publication date
Sep 2018
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
11292369
e-ISSN
11292377
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
204090997
Copyright
The Journal of Headache and Pain is a copyright of Springer, (2018). All Rights Reserved., © 2018. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.