Association between meteorological conditions and dizziness-related ambulance transports: a population-based study in Kochi Prefecture, Japan.

Abstract

Background: Dizziness is a common but nonspecific symptom that frequently leads to emergency department visits and ambulance transports, particularly when symptoms are sudden or severe. Although meteorological conditions affect various acute health outcomes, we still know little of their associations with dizziness-related emergency transports. This study examined the relationship between short-term meteorological conditions and dizziness-related ambulance transports using population-based data.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective population-based study using emergency transport record data from the Kochi-Iryo-Net database in Kochi Prefecture, Japan, between January 2017 and December 2023. Dizziness cases were identified based on physician-recorded diagnoses at the receiving medical institutions. Daily meteorological data were obtained from the Japan Meteorological Agency. The days were classified according to the number of dizziness-related ambulance transports (low-frequency days for dizziness-related ambulance transports, <5 per day vs. high-frequency days for dizziness-related ambulance transports, ≥5 per day). Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between meteorological conditions (e.g., mean air temperature, sea-level pressure, short-term temperature changes) and high-frequency days for dizziness-related ambulance transports.

Results: In total, 270,120 eligible emergency transports were analyzed, including 8,981 dizziness-related cases. Dizziness-related ambulance transports tended to be more frequent during the summer months. A higher mean air temperature was consistently associated with increased odds of high-frequency days. Short-term increases in maximum temperature and smaller diurnal temperature ranges were also associated with high-frequency days, whereas the associations with sea-level pressure were weaker and less robust. The absolute differences in meteorological variables were modest.

Conclusions: Higher ambient temperatures and short-term temperature-related changes were associated with increased odds of high-frequency days for dizziness-related ambulance transports. Meteorological conditions may thus be associated with temporal variations in dizziness-related emergency transport demands. Further studies are warranted to clarify the underlying mechanisms and specific causes of dizziness associated with these patterns.