Access to migraine centres by educational level of patients and awareness of the disease

Excerpt

Headache disorders, and migraine in particular, are an important public health issue, because of their high frequency and load of disability, but the patients themselves often disregard them and are unaware of their disease. Low socioeconomic status (SES) is frequently associated with worse health status and unfavourable outcomes. The association between SES and migraine is still under debate: several studies have been conducted, but results are inconsistent [1]. The link between health status and social determinants is rather complex; however, differential access to specialist care by SES might play a role. In a recent Italian survey, approved and then supported by the Federation of the Orders of Italian Pharmacists (FOFI), among patients seeking medication for headache in a community pharmacy, we showed a higher prevalence of migraine in patients with lower levels of education [2, 3]. About half of the interviewed subjects did not believe their headache was a disease, and managed their pain without consulting any specialist. Even if migraineurs had greater awareness of their condition, a third of them did not receive any medical consultation. …