Health issues treated by emergency medical teams following natural disasters in Japan and their relation to the disaster

This study examined health issues recorded by Emergency Medical Teams during four large-scale disasters in Japan (2019–2021) and their relation to the disaster. Logistic regression analyses were conducted on data from the Japan Surveillance in Post-Extreme Emergencies and Disasters system to examine associations between specific health issues and their relation to the disaster. Of the 822 health consultations recorded, 17.5 %, 51.3 %, and 31.1 % reported health issues directly related, indirectly related, and unrelated to the disaster, respectively. Minor injury (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.65, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 2.75–7.86), wound (AOR = 5.64, 95 % CI = 3.31–9.60), and moderate injury (AOR = 35.97, 95 % CI = 5.47–236.63) were significantly associated with a direct relation to the disaster. Hypertension (AOR = 1.69, 95 % CI = 1.05–2.71), disaster-related stress symptoms (AOR = 2.32, 95 % CI = 1.37–3.90), and treatment interruption (AOR = 2.05, 95 % CI = 1.07–3.91) were significantly associated with an indirect relation to the disaster. Fever (AOR = 2.89, 95 % CI = 1.45–5.39) and skin disease (AOR = 2.43, 95 % CI = 1.34–4.42) were significantly associated with a non-relation to the disaster. These findings highlight the multifaceted nature of health issues following disasters, emphasizing the need for response strategies that address not only direct health effects, but also indirectly related and non-disaster-related health issues. • Over half of post-disaster health issues were indirectly disaster related. • Injuries and wounds were associated with a direct relationship. • Hypertension and stress were associated with an indirect relationship. • Fever and skin disease were associated with the lack of a relationship. • Responses must consider indirect and unrelated, as well as direct, health impacts.