INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue VIII August 2025
Page 248
www.rsisinternational.org
Prevalence and Impact of Dietary Habits on Headache Incidence
among College Students: A Survey-Based Study
Ms. Gungun Bhadoriya
1
, Dr. Pushpendra K. Yaduvanshi
2
1
BPT 4
th
Year, Department of Physiotherapy, Career Point University, Kota, India
2
Professor & HOD, Department of Physiotherapy, Career Point University, Kota, India
ABSTRACT
Headaches are among the most common neurological disorders affecting college students, often influenced by
stress, sleep irregularities, and especially dietary habits. Factors such as high caffeine consumption, meal
skipping, and intake of processed foods are increasingly recognized as potential headache triggers.
Aim and objective : This study aimed to assess the prevalence of headaches and explore the association between
specific dietary habits—such as caffeine intake, alcohol consumption, processed food intake, and meal
skipping—and the frequency and severity of headaches in college students.
Need of the study: While the impact of lifestyle factors on headaches has been widely studied, focused research
on the role of diet in triggering headaches among young adults, especially college students, remains limited.
Understanding these dietary correlations can help develop targeted preventive strategies and improve quality of
life.
Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 105 college students aged 18–25
years from various institutions in Kota, India. Participants completed a dietary questionnaire administered by
the researchers, which included questions about their dietary habits. Data were analyzed using statistical tools,
including chi-square tests and ANOVA, to assess associations. The primary tools used were the Headache Impact
Test (HIT) and a customized Dietary Habit Questionnaire to assess headache severity and dietary patterns,
respectively.
Results: Findings revealed that participants with high caffeine intake and frequent meal skipping had
significantly higher HIT scores. Additionally, the consumption of trigger foods such as chocolate, cheese, and
aspartame was strongly associated with increased headache incidence. Conversely, sodium intake and
consumption of pickles or tea showed no significant relationship with headaches.
Conclusion: The study concludes that irregular dietary habits, particularly high caffeine consumption, processed
food intake, and skipping meals, are significantly associated with higher headache frequency and severity. These
findings underscore the importance of dietary awareness and interventions in headache prevention among
college students.
Keywords: Headache, Caffeine, Meal skipping, Trigger foods, HIT scale.
INTRODUCTION
Headache is one of the most prevalent neurological symptoms experienced by individuals across all age groups.
It is not a disease in itself but rather a symptom of various underlying conditions, ranging from benign lifestyle
factors to more serious medical disorders.
1
The International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD)
broadly categorizes headaches into primary and secondary types. Primary headaches, such as migraines,
tension-type headaches, and cluster headaches, occur independently and are not caused by other health
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue VIII August 2025
Page 249
www.rsisinternational.org
conditions. In contrast, secondary headaches arise due to an identifiable cause, such as infection, head injury,
hypertension, or medication overuse.
2
College students often undergo major lifestyle changes, including dietary shifts that may inadvertently influence
their health. Skipping meals, excessive caffeine intake, and reliance on processed or fast foods are some of the
dietary behaviors observed in this population.
3
Given these factors, understanding the role of diet in the
occurrence of headaches could provide valuable insights into potential preventive measures.
4
Headaches are a common neurological disorder, significantly affecting the quality of life of individuals,
especially college students who experience high levels of stress, irregular sleep, and erratic eating patterns.
5
While various factors such as stress, dehydration, and sleep deprivation have been identified as contributors to
headaches, emerging evidence suggests that dietary habits play a crucial role in triggering and exacerbating
headache episodes.
6
The role of food associated with headache has been the subject of scientific research since 1900, especially for
migraine patients.
8
A substantial proportion of patients (ranging from 12 to 60 %) report that their migraine or
headache attacks may be precipitated by dietary elements, certain eating habits (fasting), and abuse (caffeine and
alcoholic beverages abuse and withdrawal).
9
METHODOLOGY
A total of 105 participants were included in the present study according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.
All the subjects were taken from different colleges. Recruitment will occur through Campus announcements,
student emails, and flyers. Classroom invitations and online student groups.
Study: It is an Observational study.
Inclusion Criteria:
College students aged 18-25.
Exhibit common dietary habits (caffeine, alcohol, processed foods, or meal skipping).
Exclusion Criteria:
Diagnosed with chronic medical conditions affecting headaches (e.g., neurological disorders).
Regular use of medications influences headache frequency (e.g., migraine meds, antidepressants).
Severe dietary restrictions or medically prescribed diets.
Pregnancy
Procedure/Outcome Measurement
Preparation Phase: Develop and pilot test a structured questionnaire assessing dietary habits and headache
frequency. Use campus announcements, flyers, classroom visits, and online platforms to invite college students
to participate. Provide participants with a consent form detailing the study's purpose, risks, and confidentiality
assurances. Administer the questionnaire electronically via an online survey platform, allowing participants 1-2
weeks to complete it. Monitor responses, remind participants, and securely store the collected data.
Data Analysis
The tools used in this project included Python (Version 3.8+) as the core programming language, along with
several key libraries. Pandas (Version 1.3+) was utilized for data manipulation, cleaning, and statistical
calculations, while NumPy (Version 1.21+) supported numerical operations and array handling. For
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue VIII August 2025
Page 250
www.rsisinternational.org
visualizations, Matplotlib (Version 3.5+) was used for basic plotting, such as histograms and scatter plots, and
Seaborn (Version 0.11+) was employed for more advanced visualizations, including boxplots, heatmaps, and
regression plots. Additionally, SciPy (Version 1.7+) was used to perform statistical tests like t-tests, ANOVA,
and correlation analysis. All work was carried out in Jupyter Notebook to enable interactive documentation and
code execution.
RESULT
Table -1 Descriptive Statistics- HIT
COUNT
105.000000
MEAN
53.723810
STD
9.382364
MIN
32.000000
HIT by Gender:
Table 2- HIT by Gender
COUNT
MEAN
STD
MIN
25%
50%
75%
MAX
FEMALE
51.0
53.568627
8.942606
32.0
48.0
55.0
60.5
72.0
MALE
54.0
53.870370
9.861391
36.0
48.0
53.5
60.0
76.0
HIT by Caffeine Intake:
Table 3- HIT by Caffeine Intake
COUNT
MEAN
STD
MIN
25%
50%
75%
MAX
HIGH
18.0
56.000000
6.851363
44.0
52.00
57.0
60.50
67.0
LOW
28.0
49.892857
10.538604
36.0
43.50
48.0
57.25
72.0
MODERATE
34.0
56.588235
7.253495
42.0
51.25
57.0
60.75
76.0
VERY HIGH
25.0
52.480000
10.801697
32.0
47.00
54.0
59.00
74.0
Fig 1- Caffeine intake vs HIT
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue VIII August 2025
Page 252
www.rsisinternational.org
Fig.6 Any trigger vs no trigger
Fig.7 Age vs HIT
Statistical Summary:
Table 4- Statistical Summary
FACTOR
Test Used
Significance (p-value)
Conclusion
Caffeine intake
ANOVA
p<0.05
Very high intake worsens headaches
Meal skipping
T-Test
p<0.001
Skipping meals increases HIT
Sodium intake
Pearson r
p=0.42(NS)
No significant effect
Chocolate trigger
T-Test
p<0.05
Significant trigger
Cheese trigger
T-Test
p<0.05
Significant trigger
Aspartame trigger
T-Test
p<0.05
Significant trigger
Findings revealed that participants with high caffeine intake and frequent meal skipping had significantly higher
HIT scores. Additionally, the consumption of trigger foods such as chocolate, cheese, and aspartame was
strongly associated with increased headache incidence. Conversely, sodium intake and consumption of pickles
or tea showed no significant relationship with headaches.
DISCUSSION
This study aimed to assess the relationship between specific dietary habits and headache frequency and severity
among college students using the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) and a dietary questionnaire. The results
demonstrate a significant association between certain dietary behaviors—especially high caffeine intake and
meal skipping—and increased headache impact scores, suggesting diet plays a noteworthy role in headache
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue VIII August 2025
Page 253
www.rsisinternational.org
burden in this population.
Participants with moderate to very high caffeine consumption exhibited significantly higher HIT scores
compared to those with low caffeine intake, consistent with previous findings by Liao et al. (2025), who observed
an S-shaped association between caffeine intake and migraine severity, indicating that both excessive intake and
sudden withdrawal can act as triggers. Similarly, Zdun
ska et al. (2023) emphasized caffeine's dual role—
therapeutic in some headaches but harmful when consumed excessively or irregularly. These findings align with
the current study's conclusion that caffeine moderation is critical for headache management in college students.
CONCLUSION
This study concludes that specific dietary habits, particularly excessive caffeine intake, meal skipping, and the
consumption of certain trigger foods (such as chocolate, cheese, and aspartame), are significantly associated
with increased headache severity among college students. These findings emphasize the importance of adopting
regular and balanced dietary routines in reducing the incidence and impact of headaches. Recommendations
include: Moderating caffeine intake, especially avoiding excessive daily consumption. Maintaining regular meal
timings to prevent blood sugar fluctuations. Identifying and avoiding individual food triggers like chocolate and
artificial sweeteners. Opting for tea over coffee in individuals’ sensitive to caffeine.
While sodium and some food items did not show significant effects, personalized dietary counselling may still
benefit individuals with frequent headaches. Future studies with larger samples, prospective designs, and
intervention-based approaches are recommended to establish causality and refine dietary guidelines for headache
management.
REFRENCES
1. Liao, Z., Zhang, Y., Fan, L., et al. (2025). The S-shaped association between dietary caffeine intake and
severe headache or migraine: A cross-sectional study based on NHANES. Frontiers in Nutrition, 12,
Article 1024563.
2. World Health Organization (2004). Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity, and Health. 57th World
Health Assembly, Geneva: WHO.
3. Akgör, M. C., Ekizoğlu, E., & Özge, A. (2024). Dairy and headaches: What is the connection? Nutritional
Neuroscience.
4. Zdun
ska, A., Cegielska, J., Zdun
ski, S., & Domitrz, I. (2023). Caffeine for headaches: Helpful or
harmful? A brief review of the literature. Nutrients, 15(5), 1089.
5. Aladdin, Y., Alosaimi, D., Alharbi, S., Alzahrani, R., & Alsulimani, A. (2022). Migraine prevalence and
analysis of dietary habits in relation to headache in the female population: A single-center study from
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Cureus, 14(9), e29312.
6. Razeghi Jahromi, S., Ghorbani, Z., Martelletti, P., Lampl, C., & Togha, M. (2019). Association of diet
and headache. The Journal of Headache and Pain, 20, 106.
7. Martin, V. T., & Vij, B. (2016). Diet and headache: Part 1. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face
Pain, 56(9), 1543–1552.
8. Martin, V. T., & Vij, B. (2016). Diet and headache: Part 2. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face
Pain, 56(9), 1553–1562.
9. Zaeem, Z., Zhou, L., & Dilli, E. (2016). Migraine and diet in university students: Triggers and dietary
habits. The Journal of Headache and Pain, 17, 101.
10. Wold, B. M., Burke, K., & Brown, T. M. (2015). Impact of stress and lifestyle factors on headaches in
college students. Journal of American College Health, 63(3), 132–138.
11. Winter, A. C., Berger, K., Buring, J. E., & Kurth, T. (2011). Association between lifestyle factors and
headache. The Journal of Headache and Pain, 12(2), 147–155.
12. Finocchi, C., & Sivori, G. (2012). Food as trigger and aggravating factor of migraine. Neurological
Sciences, 33(1), 77–80.
13. Sun-Edelstein, C., & Mauskop, A. (2009). Foods and supplements in the management of migraine
headaches. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 25(5), 446–452.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue VIII August 2025
Page 254
www.rsisinternational.org
14. Kelman, L. (2007). The triggers or precipitants of the acute migraine attack. Cephalalgia, 27(5), 394–
402.
15. Zivadinov, R., Willheim, K., Jurjevic, A., et al. (2003). Prevalence of headaches and migraine in
university students: A gender perspective. Headache, 43(6), 617–627.
16. Yang, M., Rendas-Baum, R., Varon, S. F., & Kosinski, M. (2011). Validation of the Headache Impact
Test (HIT-6M) across episodic and chronic migraine. Cephalalgia, 31(3), 357–367.
doi:10.1177/0333102410379890
