Reported Cases of Cold-related Illnesses in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea, 2019-2025.

OBJECTIVES

We assessed the impacts of climate change on cold-related illness occurrence patterns during winter to provide foundational data for developing community-based prevention strategies, focusing on the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions.

METHODS

Data from the Cold-Related Illness Emergency Department Surveillance System of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency spanning six winter seasons (2019-2020 to 2024-2025) were analyzed. Number of patients, cases per 100,000 people, time of onset, place of occurrence, type of occurrence, and clinical outcomes were examined within the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions for patterns related to region of occurrence, and compared with nationwide data to identify regional characteristics.

RESULTS

During the six assessed winter seasons, 2,217 cold-related illnesses were reported nationwide. Daegu reported 43 cases (0.30 per 100,000 population) and Gyeongbuk reported 223 cases (1.43 per 100,000 population). Most cases occurred outdoors, between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m., with number of cases per 100,000 individuals being markedly higher among older adults. In particular, reported cases among the ≥90-year age group in Gyeongbuk was 17.54 per 100,000 population. Hypothermia accounted for 75.8% of all cases and the mortality rate was 2.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite global warming, cold-related illnesses during winter cold waves continue to occur, with health impacts concentrated among the elderly population. Region-specific risk factors should be reflected in tailored response measures, and prevention-oriented surveillance systems need to be strengthened.