Abstract
Background
Nursing students worldwide face heightened physical and emotional demands from rigorous academic and clinical training, putting them at greater risk for frequent headaches due to the cumulative effects of long duty hours and clinical rotations.
Objectives
To assess the prevalence of headaches, their associated factors, patterns, and management strategies among nursing students.
Methods
A descriptive study was conducted in a nursing college/tertiary center in Northern India during the 2023–2024 academic year. The study included 464 nursing students, predominantly female (96.3%) and 17 were male. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institute Ethics Committee. Tools used for assessment included a sociodemographic profile, headache checklist, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Jenkins Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire (JSEQ) to evaluate headache prevalence, factors, patterns, and management strategies.
Results
The study found that 76% of nursing students experienced headaches, primarily due to study-related stress (50%) and sleeplessness (25%). Half reported moderate severity, with Tension-type headaches (TTH) being the most common. Management strategies included over-the-counter medications (85.3%), rest and sleep (80%), and head massage (40%), with paracetamol being the most used medication (33%), followed by ibuprofen.
Conclusion
Three-fourths of nursing students experienced headaches in the past six months, primarily characterized by throbbing or dull pain of mild to moderate severity. High prevalence was noted among those with stress and sleep disturbances, with common management strategies including over-the-counter medications, rest, head massage, and relaxation techniques.
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