Lifestyle, Cognition, and Psychological Health Factors in Middle-Aged and Older Adult Migraineurs: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study Examining Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)

Background: Migraine is a debilitating neurological disorder, affecting 8.3% of the Canadian population and 14% of the global population. Previous research focused on the range of 18 to 40 years of age, thus the middle-aged and older adult population affected by migraine has been understudied. Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between middle and older-aged Canadian migraineurs compared to non-migraineurs with respect to their lifestyle choices, cognitive abilities, psychological well-being, and general health factors. Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study uses secondary data collected by the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) during the first follow-up evaluation, encompassing two cohorts: Comprehensive cohort (nmigraine=3,736, nnon-migraine=22,974 with 14.0% migraineurs) and Tracking cohort (nmigraine=2,270, nnon-migraine=14,759 with 13.3% migraineurs). Results: Comparisons were made between participants with a migraine diagnosis and those without. Females were more than twice as likely to report having a migraine diagnosis. Our results indicated minimal differences between migraineurs and non-migraineurs in terms of the frequency of daily physical activity; however, migraineurs tended to report a shorter duration of daily physical activity regardless of the intensity level. Migraineurs exhibited higher nutritional risk, and tended to avoid foods that were deemed ‘migraine triggers’. Also, migraineurs perceived their memory as declining and worried about that decline, yet results displayed only trivial differences between migraineurs’ and non-migraineurs’ memory. Psychologically, migraineurs demonstrated a higher incidence of psychological distress and lower levels of satisfaction with life. Additionally, migraineurs rated their physical, mental, and oral health lower than non-migraineurs, and reported a higher intensity of pain and discomfort resulting in a higher frequency of missed activities with higher functional impairment scores. Aligning with migraine comorbidities, migraineurs had an increased prevalence of depression, mood disorders, anxiety, and epilepsy. Conclusion: Understanding the inherent differences between middle and older-aged migraineurs as compared to non-migraineurs is essential for a complete depiction of this neurological disorder over the lifespan. These findings will allow future researchers and clinicians to target their exploration and treatments on improving the quality of migraineurs’ lives and the further promotion of healthy aging.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Saskatchewan

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Jensen, Makenna Kiara Nicole

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Mickleborough, Marla

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• O'Connell, Megan
• Prime, Steve

• CLSA
• migraine
• aging
• Canadian
• lifestyle
• cognition
• psychological
• health

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10388/15536

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:harvest.usask.ca:10388/15536