Prevalence and Awareness of Migraine Disorder Among University Students

Abstract

Introduction: Migraine is a common neurological disorder with substantial health burden worldwide. University students and women are particularly vulnerable. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of migraine and migraine-related knowledge among university students in a Cambodian higher education institution.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 250 university students via online self-administered questionnaire (17 items), using convenience sampling. The questionnaire included demographic items, the Migraine Screening Questionnaire (MS-Q), and items assessing students’ migraine-related knowledge. The questionnaire was reviewed before use, and scoring criteria were applied to classify migraine screening status and knowledge level was conducted between December 2024 and January 2025.

Results: Among 250 university students, 72.4% were undergraduate students and 26.0% were female, with a mean age of 22.57 ± 4.59 years. The prevalence of screened migraine was 14.8%. Overall, 40.0% of participants had insufficient migraine-related knowledge, with the greatest gap observed in medication knowledge (55.2%). Inadequate knowledge was significantly associated with migraine prevalence among university students (p = 0.016).

Conclusion: This study identified migraine among university students and highlighted substantial gaps in migraine-related knowledge, particularly regarding medication use. These findings suggest the need for targeted educational activities to strengthen migraine awareness and support appropriate self-management among students.