OBJECTIVES: Headache negatively impacts the productivity, quality of life and academic performance of students. However, little is known about the characteristics and management strategies of headache among United States (US) student pharmacists. This study aimed to measure the psychometric properties of an instrument designed to assess the characteristics and management strategies of headache in a survey among student pharmacists at a US college of pharmacy.

METHODS: We assessed the psychometric properties of the instrument which included 61 items with different response options. Students responded on a scale of 0 (not at all) to 5 (greatest extent). We analyzed items grouped into four domains: headache triggers, impact of headache, pharmacologic, and nonpharmacologic management. We used Winsteps to conduct a Rasch analysis with a rating scale model to construct measures of headache along a linear and unidimensional continuum. Principal component analysis (PCA) assessed unidimensionality. Item and person fit statistics were assessed. We analyzed construct and content validity and reliability using the student and item separation index (SI) and reliability coefficient (RC).

RESULTS: Of the 155 student pharmacists who completed the survey, 111 students reported having headache pain. PCA suggested a unidimensional construct in all four domains. Four items in the pharmacological domain with infit and outfit mean squared values outside recommended range (0.5-1.5) were removed. Student RC=0.66-0.86 (SI=1.31-2.50) and item RC=0.90-0.97 (SI=3.08-5.36). Sleep quantity was most frequently endorsed as a headache trigger, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were most strongly endorsed as beneficial for managing headaches. Disparities in student perceptions and item difficulty level on the measurement continuum suggests additional items are needed to match students’ headache perceptions.

CONCLUSIONS: This study showed evidence for the validity and reliability of a questionnaire used to assess characteristics and management of headache among student pharmacists at one US college of pharmacy. Refinements to further improve the instrument are recommended.