Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37138039›Full record

SynthesisActa neurologica Belgica2023

Headache-a challenge across medical students' life: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Seyed-Hossein Abtahi, Fatemeh Esfahanian, Mojtaba Akbari, Peyman Roomizadeh, Sina Neshat

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Acta neurologica Belgica, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 47% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Anxiety in Medical Students: a Pilot Study on Associated Factors.Academic psychiatry : the journal of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Seyed-Hossein AbtahiOphthalmic Research Center, Research Institute for Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1459-6752
Fatemeh EsfahanianSchool of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. fatemeh.esfahanian@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0773-7596
Mojtaba AkbariIsfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5777-9612
Peyman RoomizadehNeuromusculoskeletal Research Center, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7232-6833
Sina NeshatSchool of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6522-1865
Isfahan University of Medical Sciences · IRIran University of Medical Sciences · IRShahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences · IR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHeadache is a disabling disease that affects psychosocial factors. Medical students are recognized to be more susceptible to psychological stress than other. Quantitative summaries of prevalence studies on this subject are limited. The aim of this study was to quantify and comprehend the variance in prevalence at the global and regional levels.

methodsWe used a comprehensive search approach to find studies on headaches prevalence in the medical literature published between November 1990 and May 5, 2022. Database searched were PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. Studies that reported headaches (unspecified, migraine, or tension-type headache (TTH)) in medical students were included. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were applied to investigate heterogeneity, with the risk of bias tool employed to assess study quality. PROSPERO number CRD42022321556 was assigned to the study protocol.

resultsOut of 1561 studies, 79 were included. The pooled prevalence estimates of unspecified headache, migraine, and TTH were 70.44% (95% CI: 63.32-77.57), 18.9% (95% CI: 15.7-22.0), and 39.53% (95% CI: 31.17-47.90), respectively. TTH and migraine were more prevalent in Eastern Mediterranean and American region. TTH and migraine were less prevalent in higher income countries.

conclusionAlthough the prevalence of headaches among medical students varies in different countries, it is higher than the general population of the same age. Higher stressors and overwork in these students may contribute to this condition. The well-being of medical students should be a priority for the relevant authorities.

Indexed as

Migraine DisordersPersons with DisabilitiesStudents, MedicalTension-Type HeadacheHeadacheHumansPrevalenceHeadacheMedical studentsMeta-analysisMigrainePrevalenceTension-type headache

Identifiers

PMID37138039
OpenAlexW4368355750

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.