Disability burden, treatment gaps and correlates of self-reported physician-diagnosed migraine: a multinational survey in four Arab countries.
7 affiliations
- 1Preventive Medicine Department, Egypt Ministry of Health & Population, Safaga Port, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt.
- 2Neutromedica Research Team, Mansoura, Egypt.
- 3Primary Healthcare Center, Egypt Ministry of Health & Population, Dakahlia, Egypt.
- 4Mansoura University Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt.
- 5Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
- 6Cairo University Kasr Alainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
- 7Public Health and Community Medicine Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Abstract
Background
Migraine causes substantial disability in North African Arab countries, yet disease severity, treatment adequacy and healthcare utilisation remain poorly characterised. This study aimed to characterise the severity of migraine-related disability, assess medication utilisation and identify factors associated with receiving a physician diagnosis among a surveyed adult cohort.Methods
A multinational cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using an online survey distributed to adults via convenience sampling in Egypt, Sudan, Algeria and Libya in February 2026. The primary outcome was the frequency of self-reported physician-diagnosed migraine, and migraines were considered controlled if no attacks occurred in the past 3 months. Disability was quantified using the Arabic Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) scale, and factors associated with the diagnosis were analysed using multivariable logistic regression.Results
Of 1763 participants included, 20% (n=352) reported a physician diagnosis of migraine. Among the diagnosed cohort, only 19.6% (n=69) were controlled, while 26.7% experienced severe disability (MIDAS grade IV). Among participants with uncontrolled migraine (n=283), 39.9% reported using no medication for symptom relief. In the multivariable analysis, family history of migraine was strongly associated with a higher likelihood of reporting a diagnosis (adjusted OR (AOR) 5.13, 95% CI 3.99 to 6.62), while male sex was associated with lower odds (AOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.77).Conclusions
A substantial proportion of the surveyed cohort reports physician-diagnosed migraine characterised by severe disability and significant treatment gaps. Furthermore, diagnosis reporting is strongly linked to female sex and family history, likely reflecting differences in health-seeking behaviour and awareness.
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BibTeX
@article{elzayat2026disability,
title = {{Disability burden, treatment gaps and correlates of self-reported physician-diagnosed migraine: a multinational survey in four Arab countries.}},
author = {Mohamed A Elzayat and Shorouq A Kassab and Nour Edin Darwish and Yusof Mohamed Omar and Mona Nada and Neutromedica Team Of Collaborators and Abdel-Hady El-Gilany},
journal = {BMJ neurology open},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1136/bmjno-2026-001793},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948610},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Disability burden, treatment gaps and correlates of self-reported physician-diagnosed migraine: a multinational survey in four Arab countries.
AU - Mohamed A Elzayat
AU - Shorouq A Kassab
AU - Nour Edin Darwish
AU - Yusof Mohamed Omar
AU - Mona Nada
AU - Neutromedica Team Of Collaborators
AU - Abdel-Hady El-Gilany
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - BMJ neurology open
DO - 10.1136/bmjno-2026-001793
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948610
AB - Background Migraine causes substantial disability in North African Arab countries, yet disease severity, treatment adequacy and healthcare utilisation remain poorly characterised. This study aimed to characterise the severity of migraine-related disability, assess medication utilisation and identify factors associated with receiving a physician diagnosis among a surveyed adult cohort.Methods A multinational cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using an online survey distributed to adults via convenience sampling in Egypt, Sudan, Algeria and Libya in February 2026. The primary outcome was the frequency of self-reported physician-diagnosed migraine, and migraines were considered controlled if no attacks occurred in the past 3 months. Disability was quantified using the Arabic Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) scale, and factors associated with the diagnosis were analysed using multivariable logistic regression.Results Of 1763 participants included, 20% (n=352) reported a physician diagnosis of migraine. Among the diagnosed cohort, only 19.6% (n=69) were controlled, while 26.7% experienced severe disability (MIDAS grade IV). Among participants with uncontrolled migraine (n=283), 39.9% reported using no medication for symptom relief. In the multivariable analysis, family history of migraine was strongly associated with a higher likelihood of reporting a diagnosis (adjusted OR (AOR) 5.13, 95% CI 3.99 to 6.62), while male sex was associated with lower odds (AOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.77).Conclusions A substantial proportion of the surveyed cohort reports physician-diagnosed migraine characterised by severe disability and significant treatment gaps. Furthermore, diagnosis reporting is strongly linked to female sex and family history, likely reflecting differences in health-seeking behaviour and awareness.
SN - 2632-6140
ER -