Despite having a population of 13 billion, the prevalence and impact of headache on sufferers is unknown in China. The latest Lifting The Burden study will be the first formal population-based data collection on headache disorders undertaken in the country.

As with other Lifting The Burden population studies, the aim is to garner information on the incidence, prevalence and burden of migraine, tension-type headache and chronic daily headache in the general Chinese population. Based on epidemiology data from Taiwan, Province of China, and nearby Japan, it is estimated that the prevalence of migraine in China will be around 10%.

The first stage is a pilot study to validate the comprehension and reliability of the structured headache questionnaire. A total of 120 respondents will complete the survey to allow for validation. The questionnaire has already been pre-piloted with Chinese respondents and adapted to suit local culture.

The main survey will be conducted across six regions in mainland China from November 2008 to April 2009. A total of 5,000 adults from 31 provinces/cities will be participating. Trained neurologists will carry out door-to-door interviews using the questionnaire. From each region a random sub-sample of respondents, 720 in total (half from urban and half from rural communities), will be revisited within a month of the original visit by neurologists with a specialist interest in headache to provide an independent diagnosis and test the validity of the questionnaire and survey.

We'll keep you updated on the results of this important study in future issues of LTB News.