Migraine Headache in a Rural Community in Nigeria: Results of a Pilot Study

As part of a pilot study to determine the feasibility of a survey to detect major neurologic diseases among rural populations in developing countries, it was possible to obtain data on the prevalence of migraine in a rural Nigerian population. Using defined diagnostic criteria, a neurologist identified 62 individuals among a group of 903 as having migraine, yielding a point prevalence ratio of 69/1,000. The prevalence among females was approximately twice the figure for males. In 80%, a first-degree relative suffered from ''similar headaches''. Above age 39, the age-specific prevalence ratio declined with increasing age. The relative risk of epilepsy in those with migraine was 3. The high prevalence of migraine, comparable to reported data from Caucasian populations in developed countries, is surprising.