The Impact of Migraine on School Attendance and Psychosocial Functioning in Children and Adolescents: A Cross-sectional Study

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of school absenteeism and associated clinical, sociodemographic, and psychosocial factors in children, adolescents diagnosed with migraine. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive study included 70 pediatric migraine patients (aged 12-17 years; mean age: 14.8 ± 1.3 years) followed at Necmettin Erbakan University Pediatric Neurology Outpatient Clinic. Participants were diagnosed according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd Edition (ICHD-3) criteria. Data were collected via a structured 12-item questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, clinical migraine features, school absenteeism duration, academic impact, parental work loss, and teacher awareness. Statistical analyses included χ 2 , Mann-Whitney U , and multivariate logistic regression tests. Results The majority of patients were female (62.9%) and in high school (82.9%). Migraine without aura was the predominant subtype (91.4%). The mean school absenteeism over the preceding year was 4.3 ± 2.4 days. Patients with frequent attacks (>1/mo) had significantly longer absenteeism compared with infrequent attackers (5.1 vs 3.3 days; P = .001). Academic decline was reported by 11.4% of patients and was associated with significantly higher absenteeism (7.4 vs 3.9 days; P = .001). Only 22.9% of patients received prophylactic treatment. Parental work loss was universal (100%; mean 2.5 ± 1.1 days). Teacher awareness of migraine diagnosis was absent in all cases (0%). Conclusion Migraine imposes a significant multidimensional burden on children's educational life, with attack frequency being the primary driver of absenteeism. The complete lack of teacher awareness and high rates of parental work loss underscore critical deficiencies in school–health care collaboration. Multidisciplinary strategies integrating optimized prophylaxis, school-based awareness programs, and individualized health plans are urgently needed.