Objective: To estimate work impact of headache among migraineurs.
Methods: Data were from a U.S. nationwide mailed questionnaire of 193,477 participants in the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention study. Lost Productive Time (LPT) was the sum of missed hours plus reduced productivity hour equivalents. The cause of LPT was self-reported.
Results: The mean LPT per week was 1.8 hours for headache and 2.8 for all health related causes; 76.5% of the headache-related LPT was explained by reduced performance (ie, presenteeism). The 29% of migraine cases with 11+ headaches-d/mo accounted for 49% of overall LPT; the 19% of those with pain score of 9 to 10 on a 0 to 10 scale accounted for 33% of the overall LPT.
Conclusions: Individuals with frequent and severe headaches account for a disproportionate share of the headache-related LPT.