Abstract
Background/objectiveProductivity and monetary loss due to migraine in the workplace may be substantial. This study aimed to determine the impact of migraine on productivity and monetary lost among employees in the banking sectors, in a multiethnic middle income country.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was conducted among employees in two multinational banks in Malaysia between April and July 2019. Screening for migraine was conducted using the self-administered ID-Migraine™ questionnaire. Migraine-related disability (MIDAS) and headache frequency were recorded. Impact of migraine on work productivity and activities were evaluated using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire.ResultsOf the 1268 employees who submitted complete responses, 47.2% (n = 598) were screened positive for migraine. Strikingly, the mean percent productivity loss at work (presenteeism) was almost 20-fold higher than the mean percent work time missed due to migraine (absenteeism) (39.1% versus 1.9%). The mean percent productivity loss in regular activity (activity impairment) and overall work productivity loss (work impairment) was 38.4% and 39.9%, respectively. It was also found that the costs related to presenteeism (MYR 5392.6) (US$1296) was 3.5-fold higher than absenteeism (MYR1,548.3) (US$370). Highest monetary loss related to presenteeism was reported in migraineurs with frequency of headache of above 3 days (MYR 25,691.2) (US$6176), whereas highest monetary loss related to absenteeism was reported in migraineurs with MIDAS grade IV (MYR 12,369.1) (US$2973). Only 30% of migraineurs of MIDAS grade IV reported taking prescribed medication. Notably, a vast majority (96%) of migraineurs who had three or lower episodes of migraine per month did not seek treatment.ConclusionThe significant impact of migraine on work productivity and regular activity, appears to lead to substantial monetary loss attributed to not only absenteeism, but more importantly to presenteeism. This study also highlights the unmet needs in migraine management among employees in the banking sector.
Highlights
Migraine is a complex neurological condition and is the third most common disorder in the world, with an estimated global prevalence of 14.7% [1]
Multivariable analysis showed that participants of age group 31– 40 years had 1.61 times higher odds (95%CI 1.07–2.44) to be screened positive for migraine based on the IDMigraineTM test than those of the age group over 50 years
There was no significant difference in migraine prevalence by physical activity, a lower proportion of the participants with high International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) level were screened positive for migraine, compared to those with moderate and low IPAQ levels
Summary
Migraine is a complex neurological condition and is the third most common disorder in the world, with an estimated global prevalence of 14.7% [1]. Almost three billion individuals were estimated to have a migraine or tension-type headache in 2016 [2]. Migraine is increasingly recognized as a global cause of disability [3]. The enormous and growing disability and health burden associated with migraine headaches, in people at their most economicallyproductive age, has resulted in migraine being increasingly recognized as a public health threat. Migraine headaches are associated with substantial functional impairment, reduced health-related quality of life, and psychiatric comorbidities [4, 5]. The condition often causes incapacity to work; in that regard, this represents a significant problem for migraineurs and their employers
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