Headache epidemiology - Emphasis on migraine

Epidemiologic studies provide estimates of the scope and distribution of the public health impact of primary headache disorders. These studies have been facilitated by the development of the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria for migraine and tension-type headache, which now have been used in separate prevalence studies in several countries. This article reviews some of the methodologic challenges in studying headache epidemiology, reports the results from recent studies using the IHS criteria, and suggests directions for future research.