Prevalence and Risk Factors of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo among Patients with Dizziness in Basrah, Iraq

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and risk factors of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in patients with dizziness.
Methodology: Patients with dizziness attending the otolaryngology outpatient department in Basrah General Hospital during the period from 13th January to 12th of November 2013 were included. All the participants were interviewed according to a special questionnaire. Otoscopic examination, audiometry, and Dix Hallpike tests were performed.
Results: A convenient sample of 402 patients with dizziness were included in the study. The prevalence of BPPV in patients with dizziness was 26.1% (95% CI, 21.9-30.6). More women than men were affected by BPPV (female: male ratio 2.09:1) with a significant association between female gender and BPPV (adjusted OR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.29 -3.63; P= 0.003). Most of the affected patients (98.1%) reported sudden onset of attack. The attack lasted for seconds in (64.8%) and it was recurrent in 43.8%. On multivariate analysis; age, sex, level of education, hypertension, and chronic otitis media were independently associated with BPPV.
Conclusion: BPPV is a common condition in patients with dizziness in Basrah. Certain risk factors such as age, sex, level of education, hypertension, and chronic otitis media were significantly associated with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.