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

Background Headache 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. Methods We 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. Results Out 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. Conclusion Although 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.