Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 71, Issue 2 , Pages 74-78, February 2008

Impact of Migraine on the Employed Labor Force in Taiwan

  • Jong-Ling Fuh

      Affiliations

    • The Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Jong-Ling Fuh, The Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan, R.O.C
    • ,
  • Shuu-Jiun Wang

      Affiliations

    • The Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Shiang-Ru Lu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Received 22 August 2007; accepted 17 January 2008.

Background

To estimate the economic impact of migraine on the employed labor force in Taiwan.

Methods

The age-and sex-specific migraine prevalence rates, self-reported missed workdays due to migraine, and monthly income were obtained from 3,377 subjects of a community-based headache questionnaire survey in the greater Taipei area. The migraine-related loss was projected to the whole Taiwanese population based on statistics from the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics of the Executive Yuan, Taiwan.

Results

People suffering from migraines had a median of 2 missed workdays due to migraine in the year prior to the survey. It is estimated that there are about 1.7 million people who have migraines over the course of 1 year in Taiwan. Migraine resulted in 3.7 million estimated missed workdays and an estimated cost of NT$4.6 billion due to loss of workdays in 2005. Employed migrainous women aged 35–54 years accounted for 56% of the cost.

Conclusion

Migraine is related to high work absence rates and causes significant economic loss to the society in Taiwan.

Key Words:  burden , cost , migraine , Taiwan

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PII: S1726-4901(08)70078-9

doi:10.1016/S1726-4901(08)70078-9

Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 71, Issue 2 , Pages 74-78, February 2008

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