Impact of headache on physical activity levels and dynamic balance among university students

Kiruthika Selvakumar; Lee Wan Fei; Deepak Thazhakkattu Vasu; Nandakumari P Velayan Sabapathy; Kiruthika Selvakumar; Lee Wan Fei; Deepak Thazhakkattu Vasu; Nandakumari P Velayan Sabapathy

doi:10.3934/Neuroscience.2025022

AIMS Neuroscience

2025, Volume 12, Issue 3: 406-417. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2025022

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Research article

Impact of headache on physical activity levels and dynamic balance among university students

Department of Physiotherapy, M Kandiah Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Selangor, Malaysia

Received: 25 July 2025 Revised: 18 September 2025 Accepted: 23 September 2025 Published: 25 September 2025

Background and Objective
Headache disorders are ranked among the top 10 causes of disability worldwide and are notably prevalent within university student populations. This study aimed to (a) assess the prevalence of headaches and their impact among university students, (b) examine the correlation between headaches and dynamic balance, and (c) investigate the correlation between headaches and levels of physical activity.
Methods
The cross-sectional study was conducted at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and involved 471 participants by using convenience sampling. A digital screening questionnaire was used to obtain demographic data and screen the participants. The Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) and the self-administered short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) Long Last 7 Days were conducted by eligible participants. Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Timed Up and Go Dual Task (TUG-DT; Cognitive and Manual) were assessed to measure dynamic balance.
Results
A 96.9% response rate was obtained in the study. The prevalence of headaches among university students was 44% (n = 208). Spearman correlation analysis indicated very weak to weak correlations that are not statistically significant between headache severity and physical activity levels (r = 0.064, p > 0.05), or with single-task dynamic balance (r = 0.118, p > 0.05) and manual dual-task balance (r = 0.183, p > 0.05). However, a significant positive correlation was observed between headache severity and cognitive dual-task balance performance (r = 0.292, p < 0.05), indicating that greater headache impact is associated with poorer balance under cognitive dual-task conditions.
Conclusions
Headache prevalence among university students was 44%, higher in females and younger individuals. While headache severity showed no significant correlation with physical activity or most dynamic balance measures, it was significantly associated with impaired balance under cognitive dual-task conditions, indicating a potential impact on motor–cognitive integration.
- headache impact,
- migraine symptoms,
- dual-task balance,
- university students,
- non-pharmacological interventions
Citation: Kiruthika Selvakumar, Lee Wan Fei, Deepak Thazhakkattu Vasu, Nandakumari P Velayan Sabapathy. Impact of headache on physical activity levels and dynamic balance among university students[J]. AIMS Neuroscience, 2025, 12(3): 406-417. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2025022

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Abstract

Background and Objective

Headache disorders are ranked among the top 10 causes of disability worldwide and are notably prevalent within university student populations. This study aimed to (a) assess the prevalence of headaches and their impact among university students, (b) examine the correlation between headaches and dynamic balance, and (c) investigate the correlation between headaches and levels of physical activity.

Methods

The cross-sectional study was conducted at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and involved 471 participants by using convenience sampling. A digital screening questionnaire was used to obtain demographic data and screen the participants. The Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) and the self-administered short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) Long Last 7 Days were conducted by eligible participants. Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Timed Up and Go Dual Task (TUG-DT; Cognitive and Manual) were assessed to measure dynamic balance.

Results

A 96.9% response rate was obtained in the study. The prevalence of headaches among university students was 44% (n = 208). Spearman correlation analysis indicated very weak to weak correlations that are not statistically significant between headache severity and physical activity levels (r = 0.064, p > 0.05), or with single-task dynamic balance (r = 0.118, p > 0.05) and manual dual-task balance (r = 0.183, p > 0.05). However, a significant positive correlation was observed between headache severity and cognitive dual-task balance performance (r = 0.292, p < 0.05), indicating that greater headache impact is associated with poorer balance under cognitive dual-task conditions.

Conclusions

Headache prevalence among university students was 44%, higher in females and younger individuals. While headache severity showed no significant correlation with physical activity or most dynamic balance measures, it was significantly associated with impaired balance under cognitive dual-task conditions, indicating a potential impact on motor–cognitive integration.

Acknowledgments

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies. The authors would like to thank all the university students who participated in this study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Authors' contributions

Kiruthika Selvakumar: Study conception, design, analysis and final approval; Lee Wan Fei: Literature review, data acquisition, statistical analysis and writing – original draft; Deepak Thazhakkattu Vasu and Nandakumari P Velayan Sabapathy: writing – review and editing. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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