RELATIONSHIP OF INTERNET ADDICTION WITH HEADACHES IN ADOLESCENTS: COMORBID PATHOLOGY AND COMMON RISK FACTORS

Abstract

Data on the relationship of headaches with Internet addiction is rather inconsistent.
 Purpose: to establish common risk factors for the development of various types of Internet addiction and primary types of headache.
 Materials and methods. 5195 schoolchildren aged 11-18 in Siberia were examined. Internet addiction and its types were determined using the Chen questionnaire, Game Addiction Scale and The Social Media Disorder Scale; Type of headache (migraine or tension headache) – according to the questionnaire of S.Yu. Tereshchenko, based on The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (beta version), 2013; Mental disorders – in computerized testing in the program “The Development and Well-Being Assessment” (DAWBA, R. Goodman et al.)
 Results. It has been established that Internet addiction occurs 6 times more often in migraine and 3 times more often in tension headache. However, this relationship is only observed for Social Media Disorder. The connection of headaches with Game Addiction has not been revealed. At the same times headaches (especially migraine) and Internet addiction (predominantly social media disorder) have a common comorbid pathology and risk factors: recurrent abdomen pain, back pain, insomnia, daytime sleepiness, gastroesophageal reflux disease, asthenic syndrome, emotional problems, hyperactivity, high prognosis of mental pathology.