Unhealthy teens more prone to headaches

LONDON - Teenagers who are overweight, get little exercise and smoke are 3.4 times more likely to have frequent headaches than those with no “negative lifestyle factors”, a Norwegian study says.

Of those with all three negative lifestyle factors, more than half - 55 percent - had frequent headaches compared to just a quarter of those with healthier behaviour, reports the Telegraph.

Those with two of the three negative factors were 1.8 times more likely to have frequent headaches, according to the journal Neurology.

Overweight teenagers were 40 percent more likely to have frequent headaches than those with no negative factors.

Teens who smoked were 50 percent more likely to have frequent headaches and teens who exercised less than twice a week were 20 percent more likely to have frequent headaches than those who exercised at least twice a week and had no other negative factors.

As part of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study in Norway, 5,847 students aged between 13 to 18 years were interviewed by nurses about headaches and their weight and height measurements were taken.

They also completed a questionnaire about physical activity and smoking.

Out of the group, 36 percent of girls and 21 percent of boys reported having recurrent headaches within the last year.

Sixteen percent of the students were overweight, 19 percent were smokers and 31 percent exercised less than twice a week.