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Public Health Weekly Report 2025; 18(3): 121-136

Published online December 17, 2024

https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2025.18.3.2

© The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

2022 Injury Status of Inpatients in the Republic of Korea

Kyunghae Wang , Sohyun Park , Mini Jo , Jungeun Lee , Eunhee Jeon *

Division of Injury Prevention Policy, Department of Health Hazard Response, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Korea

*Corresponding author: Eunhee Jeon, Tel: +82-43-219-2910, E-mail: jeh77@korea.kr

Received: November 5, 2024; Revised: December 3, 2024; Accepted: December 13, 2024

This is an Open Access aritcle distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Injury is one of the leading causes of death in the Republic of Korea (ROK), alongside cancer and heart disease, accounting for 27,812 deaths in 2023 (7.9% of all deaths). This article aims to identify the scale and changing patterns of injury cases in ROK, analyze their epidemiological characteristics from from the Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey in 2022. In 2022, the discharge rate of injured patients was 2,212 per 100,000 people and included 2,272 males and 2,153 females. Among individuals aged 65 years and older, females had a higher discharge rate than males. The average length of hospital stay for injured patients was 12.6 days, which is longer than the overall average for hospitalized patients (7.8 days), with an increase in hospital stay duration corresponding to an increase in age. The leading mechanisms of injury in injury-related discharges were slips and falls (1,070 per 100,000 population), traffic accidents (477), and collisions (239). Traffic accident-related injuries declined from 801 in 2012 to 477 in 2022, whereas injuries caused by slips and falls increased from 730 to 1,070 during the same period. The most common locations for injury occurrence were roads and highways (26.7%) and residential areas (20.1%). Males had a notably higher proportion of injuries at industrial and construction sites. Intentional self-harm showed an increasing trend among adolescents (ages 13–18 years) and individuals aged 65 and older. In adolescents, the discharge rate for cases of self-harm rose by 128.6%, with the rate for female adolescents being 3.2 times higher than that of their male counterparts.

Key words Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey; Wounds and injuries; Accidents, traffic; Accidental falls; Life cycle stages

Key messages

① What is known previously?

Injury is a leading cause of death in the Republic of Korea, accounting for 27,812 deaths is 2023 (7.9% of all deaths).

② What new information is presented?

The discharge rates for major causes of injury per 100,000 population in 2012 were led by transporta-tion accidents (801), followed by slips and falls (730) and trauma from being struck (284). However, by 2022, slips and falls had become the leading cause, with 1,070 patients, followed by transportation accidents (477) and trauma from being struck (239).

③ What are implications?

To prevent injuries, establishing an injury prevention management system that develops and implements cause-specific prevention strategies and policies based on scientific evidence is essential.

Injury is a major cause of death and disability worldwide, accounting for 4.4 million deaths in 2019 (approximately 8% of all deaths). Particularly for individuals aged 5–29 years, three of the top five causes of death (namely, traffic accidents, homicide, and suicide) are injury-related. Further, it is estimated that injuries account for approximately 10% of all disability-adjusted life years [1].

In the Republic of Korea (ROK), injury is a major cause of death, alongside cancer and heart disease. In 2023, injuries resulted in 27,812 deaths, representing 7.9% of total mortality [2].

Drawing on statistical data from the Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey (KNHDIS) in 2022, this article aims to identify the scale and changing patterns of injury cases in ROK, analyze their epidemiological characteristics, and provide evidence for the development of policies and guidelines for injury prevention.

1. Target Population

The target population of the KNHDIS includes patients discharged from general hospitals and all acute care general hospitals in the country during the survey year, excluding single-specialty hospitals. However, due to practical survey conditions, the sampled population was limited to patients who were hospitalized and discharged from general hospitals and health and medical clinics with 100 or more beds. The stratification variable for the population was the number of hospital beds, which was divided into four strata using the cumulative square root method [3]. For sample selection of hospitals, the Neyman allocation method was used to distribute the sample across these bed-size strata, followed by sorting within each stratum according to the number of beds, and then selecting hospitals using the systematic sampling method. This resulted in a sample of 250 hospitals of the initial 747 in the survey population. To strengthen the representativeness of injury statistics, regional emergency medical centers (n=37), regional trauma centers (n=4), and burn hospitals (n=5) were included in the sample. Systematic sampling was used to select sample patients, accounting for about 9% of those discharged between January 1 and December 31 from the 250 sampled hospitals, resulting in 285,796 discharged patients in 2022 [3].

2. Survey Content

The survey items of the KNHDIS consisted of general items for all discharged patients and in-depth items for injury cases. Each item included information on illness and treatment, such as medical institution details, sex, age, birth date, payment method, dates of admission and discharge, hospitalization route, principal diagnosis code, other diagnosis codes, and treatment outcomes, based on the medical records of the target hospital [4].

3. Data Analysis

The number of discharged patients and the mean length of hospital stay were estimated using weighted values to ensure that the sample population, selected based on the sampling method, accurately represented patients discharged from general hospitals with 100 or more beds in the country. The discharge rate was calculated as the number of discharges per 100,000 population by dividing the estimated number of discharged patients by the estimated population for the year and then multiplying by 100,000. Weights were calculated by multiplying the sampling rate of the hospitals in each stratum by the patient sampling rate of the sample hospitals. Statistical analysis was conducted using SAS (version 9.4; SAS Institute).

In 2022, the overall discharge rate (per 100,000 population) for all injuries was 2,212. By sex, the rates were 2,272 for male patients and 2,153 for female patients. Over the past decade, the discharge rate for injuries has been 1.1 to 1.4 times higher in male patients than in female patients. By age, more female patients were discharged than male patients in the 65 years and older age group (Table 1).

Table 1. Trends in discharge rates of injury patients by sex and age (2012–2022)
Category20122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Total2,3122,3012,3132,3562,2852,3652,3102,2502,0141,8482,212
0–14 yr963921964901804795781786613563664
15–24 yr1,6971,6081,6721,7471,6231,5671,4971,4311,1471,0731,375
25–34 yr1,9111,8361,8111,7451,6561,6391,5031,3761,2591,0601,256
35–44 yr1,9381,9471,8051,8171,7431,6851,6181,5191,2461,1381,241
45–54 yr2,6262,6322,5252,5642,3132,3262,2022,0361,8231,5521,716
55–64 yr3,0833,0703,0443,1373,0643,2633,1352,9782,6662,3922,719
65–74 yr3,9413,9414,0003,8303,8964,0943,9633,8443,4923,2123,759
+75 yr5,6445,4855,7866,1016,2726,6666,6756,8526,2115,8827,401
Male2,6942,6392,6202,6442,5122,5722,4602,3912,1651,9542,272
0–14 yr1,2551,1951,2431,1541,0161,082977991742726854
15–24 yr2,2752,1522,2722,3642,1862,1571,9671,9341,5311,4351,853
25–34 yr2,5952,4612,4112,2742,1382,1481,9341,7731,6061,3771,679
35–44 yr2,5062,5172,2912,3162,1962,1372,0021,8891,6261,4731,594
45–54 yr3,0983,0712,9422,9032,6412,6482,4632,3092,1871,8532,062
55–64 yr3,5463,5153,4343,5673,4053,5483,4123,2732,9832,6022,885
65–74 yr4,1253,9124,0003,9783,8313,9713,9903,8383,5993,2603,636
+75 yr5,1194,8735,0555,3155,4835,6535,6885,8575,3935,0015,949
Female1,9291,9622,0062,0682,0562,1572,1592,1091,8631,7422,153
0–14 yr647626665630577489572568477391464
15–24 yr1,0449929931,051992908975874728681856
25–34 yr1,1801,1661,1611,1671,1211,0701,017925865701776
35–44 yr1,3491,3571,3011,3001,2641,2071,2111,127844782866
45–54 yr2,1422,1832,1022,2201,9781,9971,9361,7571,4521,2451,362
55–64 yr2,6362,6382,6652,7182,7312,9852,8622,6882,3532,1852,554
65–74 yr3,7883,9644,0003,7033,9524,2023,9393,8503,3963,1693,871
+75 yr5,9255,8176,1896,5396,7157,2487,2557,4436,7016,4168,298

Unit: per 100,000 population. Discharge rates=(estimated number of discharged patients/estimated population for the year)×100,000.



The mean length of hospital stay for injury cases was 12.6 days, which was 4.8 days longer than that for all inpatients (7.8 days). By age, the mean length of hospital stay was 5.8 days for 0–14-year-olds and 16.6 days for those aged 75 years and older, indicating that the mean length of hospital stay increased with age (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Average length of stay by age for total patients and injury patients (2022)

The discharge rate (per 100,000 population) by major cause of injury was calculated using the 2005 estimated population as the standard population to allow comparisons across groups with different demographic structures. In 2022, the discharge rate was the highest for falls and trips (1,070), followed by transportation accidents (477) and collisions (239) (Figure 2). Compared to the discharge rate in 2012, transportation accidents decreased by 42.4%, from 771 in 2012 to 444 in 2022, while falls and trips increased by 42.0%, from 703 in 2012 to 998 in 2022 (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Trends in discharge rates of injury patients by mechanisms of injury (2012–2022)
Standardized population: estimated population of 2005.

In 2022, the discharge rate (per 100,000 population) for patients injured from falls and trips was 1.2 to 2.0 times higher in male patients than in female patients in the 0–54 age group, and 1.2 to 2.0 times higher in female patients than in male patients in the 55 years and older age group. The discharge rate increased with age, with female patients aged 75 years and older (5,957) being 29.5 times more likely to be discharged than female patients aged 0–14 years (202) (Table 2).

Table 2. Trends in discharge rates of injury patients due to falls by sex and age (2012–2022)
Category20122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Total703748736783792873837860791774998
0–14 yr286287306308282286278286211209271
15–24 yr327318331378360385339365277285392
25–34 yr342346360338343378315315296256371
35–44 yr418446385416429433386381311329373
45–54 yr702753679685640683645598559502573
55–64 yr9961,0761,0051,0531,0731,2031,1061,0659899451,164
65–74 yr1,5961,6941,6451,6551,6951,8371,6961,7291,6311,4881,834
+75 yr3,2703,2923,3303,6153,7063,9913,9634,1993,7553,7354,836
Male686720702730716776726745679646813
0–14 yr381390416411356396345366257273337
15–24 yr441442463504477516451492376376509
25–34 yr479475480453448487375404358322482
35–44 yr560584510556560548495443383423461
45–54 yr803868766751689701690676639553631
55–64 yr9521,0079841,0251,0171,1211,0219839138461,045
65–74 yr1,2551,2481,2921,3151,2681,3861,3381,4111,3361,1821,431
+75 yr2,2502,3522,1882,3642,4932,7112,6242,7832,5562,3993,019
Female7207757718358679709499769039021,182
0–14 yr184177188198202170206202162141202
15–24 yr198178181235228238215224170185264
25–34 yr196207230212227256247213227182245
35–44 yr270302257270290311271315235229281
45–54 yr598636592619590665599518477451513
55–64 yr1,0381,1431,0251,0791,1281,2821,1891,1451,0651,0431,281
65–74 yr1,8802,0681,9431,9462,0702,2372,0162,0151,8971,7662,201
+75 yr3,8163,8043,9614,3124,3874,7264,7495,0384,4754,5455,957

Unit: per 100,000 population. Discharge rates=(estimated number of discharged patients/estimated population for the year)×100,000.



The primary locations of injury were streets and main roads (26.7% of all injuries, 29.2% of male patients, and 24.1% of female patients) and residences (20.1% of all injuries, 13.2% of male patients, and 27.4% of female patients). For male patients, industrial and construction sites accounted for 10 times more injuries than for female patients (7.0% of male patients and 0.7% of female patients), whereas female patients were more likely to be injured in commercial facilities such as stores and shopping malls (2.3% of male patients and 2.5% of female patients). By age, the most common place of injury was the residence (38.1%) for those aged 75 years and older, while streets and main roads were the most common for those aged 0–74 years (Table 3).

Table 3. Number of discharged injury patients by location of injury: by sex and age
CategoryTotalHomeResidential institutionSchool, educational areaSports‧ athletics areaPublic highway, street or roadRecreational area, cultural area, public buildingCommercial areaIndustrial or construction areaFarmOther transport areaCountrysideMedical service areaOtherUnspecified
NN %N%N %N%N %N%N%N%N%N%N%N%N%N%
Total1,037,912.1209,068.420.110,410.81.09,120.10.932,456.53.1277,095.726.78,430.20.824,656.72.440,682.43.922,360.62.23,199.80.326,418.82.517,388.81.715,569.01.5341,054.232.9
0–14 yr36,939.95,400.814.679.40.24,318.511.74,118.111.17,866.321.31,930.05.2891.82.4*0.0*0.0*0.1651.11.8218.70.6931.12.510,489.628.4
15–24 yr70,823.07,048.410.01,321.11.93,671.05.210,065.114.221,078.129.8620.30.91,885.32.71,070.51.5*0.2*0.0709.71.0285.90.4842.91.222,065.931.2
25–34 yr83,202.67,669.09.2338.40.4149.70.27,240.48.728,506.134.3702.30.83,199.53.84,247.25.1227.00.3338.60.41,846.52.2418.40.5886.41.127,433.233.0
35–44 yr86,088.29,684.611.2229.30.3140.80.24,266.55.028,070.232.6558.30.62,443.92.85,501.86.4463.20.5301.30.31,471.81.7468.40.51,291.21.531,197.036.2
45–54 yr130,692.117,095.213.1435.90.3130.00.12,867.82.242,486.132.5655.00.54,158.73.29,703.27.41,371.71.0301.10.23,718.12.81,076.70.81,946.61.544,746.134.2
55–64 yr201,658.828,016.113.9486.10.2128.60.12,041.01.059,874.129.7953.80.55,369.52.714,215.67.04,540.32.3707.40.48,723.24.32,486.11.23,576.81.870,539.935.0
65–74 yr171,525.836,273.621.11,069.10.6123.60.11,313.90.849,006.428.61,052.90.63,389.42.05,352.63.17,737.34.5809.30.55,816.03.43,943.02.32,592.81.553,045.730.9
+75 yr256,981.897,880.838.16,451.62.5457.90.2543.60.240,208.415.61,957.70.83,318.81.3591.40.27,889.43.1670.60.33,482.31.48,491.63.33,501.11.481,536.731.7
Male529,186.969,771.613.23,560.90.76,147.31.225,945.84.9154,648.429.23,898.10.712,170.22.336,912.97.010,136.11.91,452.20.315,913.83.07,187.61.48,417.71.6173,024.232.7
0–14 yr24,543.02,968.712.179.40.33,106.212.73,504.014.35,264.821.51,093.74.5518.52.1*0.0*0.0*0.0277.41.1167.10.7548.12.27,015.028.6
15–24 yr49,915.83,796.27.61,294.42.62,594.25.28,260.916.514,446.128.9372.00.71,340.62.71,058.62.1*0.2*0.0577.61.2*0.3809.01.615,125.530.3
25–34 yr59,812.04,119.86.9244.60.4*0.25,938.29.919,413.332.5511.90.92,404.04.03,770.66.3175.80.3*0.31,475.22.5*0.2701.21.220,659.634.5
35–44 yr57,951.03,942.86.8206.00.4*0.13,827.46.618,697.532.3338.20.61,848.43.25,193.39.0436.40.8268.00.51,092.81.9154.80.31,084.21.920,794.735.9
45–54 yr80,675.88,400.310.4225.20.3*0.02,450.13.025,144.331.2336.80.42,480.03.19,071.011.2626.40.8129.10.22,501.13.1592.60.71,257.81.627,420.934.0
55–64 yr104,646.810,951.210.590.70.1*0.11,037.61.029,851.028.5362.50.31,891.21.812,668.512.12,356.82.3267.80.34,851.84.61,415.71.41,896.91.836,949.135.3
65–74 yr77,037.212,568.316.3211.60.3*0.1662.20.924,085.131.3386.20.51,061.71.44,674.26.13,523.24.6459.60.63,283.14.31,756.42.31,351.11.822,942.229.8
+75 yr74,605.223,024.130.91,208.91.6*0.2265.50.417,746.223.8496.70.7625.70.8476.60.62,906.13.9163.60.21,854.92.52,833.93.8769.21.022,117.229.6
Female508,725.3139,296.827.46,849.91.32,972.80.66,510.71.3122,447.324.14,532.10.912,486.52.53,769.50.712,224.52.41,747.60.310,505.02.110,201.22.07,151.31.4168,030.033.0
0–14 yr12,396.92,432.119.6*0.01,212.39.8614.25.02,601.521.0836.26.7373.23.0*0.0*0.1*0.3373.83.0*0.4383.03.13,474.728.0
15–24 yr20,907.23,252.115.6*0.11,076.85.21,804.28.66,632.031.7248.31.2544.72.6*0.1*0.1*0.2132.10.6156.60.7*0.26,940.533.2
25–34 yr23,390.53,549.215.2*0.4*0.21,302.25.69,092.838.9190.30.8795.53.4476.52.0*0.2174.50.7371.41.6280.41.2185.20.86,773.529.0
35–44 yr28,137.35,741.720.4*0.1*0.3439.21.69,372.733.3220.10.8595.52.1308.51.1*0.1*0.1379.11.3313.61.1207.10.710,402.337.0
45–54 yr50,016.38,694.817.4*0.4*0.2417.80.817,341.834.7318.20.61,678.73.4632.11.3745.31.5*0.31,217.02.4484.11.0688.71.417,325.234.6
55–64 yr97,012.017,064.917.6395.40.4*0.11,003.41.030,023.230.9591.30.63,478.33.61,547.11.62,183.62.3439.60.53,871.44.01,070.51.11,679.91.733,590.834.6
65–74 yr94,488.523,705.425.1857.50.9*0.1651.70.724,921.226.4666.70.72,327.62.5678.40.74,214.14.5349.80.42,532.82.72,186.62.31,241.71.330,103.531.9
+75 yr182,376.674,856.641.05,242.72.9341.40.2278.10.222,462.212.31,461.00.82,693.01.5*0.14,983.32.7507.00.31,627.50.95,657.73.12,731.91.559,419.532.6

*Statistics will not be provided for cases with fewer than 5 samples.



Intentional self-harm was more frequent among adolescents (13–18 years, 64 cases) and the elderly (65 years and older, 52 cases) compared with that in young adults (19–64 years, 32 cases) and children (0–12 years, 1 case). Compared with that in 2012, intentional self-harm among adolescents increased by 128.6% (from 28 cases in 2012 to 64 cases in 2022), while it decreased by 35.8% (from 81 cases in 2012 to 52 cases in 2022) among older adults aged 65 years and older (Figure 3). The discharge rates for intentional self-harm among adolescents, who showed the largest increase, continue to rise, with female adolescents having 3.2 times more intentional self-harm discharges than male adolescents.

Figure 3. Discharge rates of intentional self-harm patients by life stage
*If the standard error of the estimate is over 25% or the sample size is less than 5, the statistics may not have a sufficient level of reliability, so caution is advised in the use.

According to the 2022 KNHDIS, injury remained a major cause of death and disability, with discharge rates and lengths of stay for injury still higher than those for the general patient population. Notably, there were significant differences by age, sex, and location for falls/trips and intentional self-harm, the major causes of injury.

In 2023, the death rate from injury was 54.4 per 100,000 population, with the lowest rate (2.8) in 1–9-year-olds and the highest rate (285.8) in those aged 80 years and older, indicating an increase with age [2]. The major causes of death were unintentional homicide and transportation accidents for those under 10 years of age, and suicide, falls, and transportation accidents for those aged 80 years or older.

Even among hospitalized patients, falls/trips were the main cause of injury in the elderly, while intentional self-harm was rapidly increasing in the adolescent population, suggesting the need for analysis and customized responses based on the characteristics of injuries by age. By place of injury, streets and main roads, as well as residences, accounted for a large proportion of injuries. Male patients had a higher incidence of injuries at industrial and construction sites, while female patients were more likely to be injured at commercial facilities.

In 2024, the population aged 65 and older accounted for 19.2% of the total population and is expected to reach 20.6% in 2025, marking the entry into a super-aging society. The medical expenditure per elderly person is 2.4 times higher than the overall average [5], indicating that the burden of aging-related diseases is expected to become a major focus of national health care in the future.

Internationally, falls and trips in the elderly are considered a major health problem. In the United States, the death rate from falls and trips increased by approximately 41% from 2012 to 2021. Therefore, a greater expansion of fall prevention exercise programs, education, and environmental improvements is needed for the elderly.

In the past, injuries were viewed as accidental and unavoidable “accidents.” However, as our understanding of the nature of injuries has deepened, there has been a shift in perceptions and attitudes, leading to the recognition that both unintentional and intentional injuries are largely preventable public health issues [6].

To prevent the physical and mental health effects of falls, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has made efforts to reduce the incidence of injuries from diverse perspectives and minimize the sequelae of disability in the elderly by developing and distributing exercise programs and specialist training programs for fall prevention to relevant ministries and agencies. The World Health Organization has also emphasized that science-based, specific strategies are cost-effective for preventing injuries [7]. The KNHDIS, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024, conducts an in-depth analysis of the current status of injured patients admitted to hospitals and is used for research, policy formulation, and as an indicator for the National Health Plan (Health Plan 2030). In the future, it will be necessary to further enhance the national injury surveillance system to strengthen the foundation for developing injury prevention policies. Additionally, the injury prevention and management system should be continuously strengthened by developing and implementing injury prevention programs in partnership with local communities. This will help reduce the number of deaths and disabilities caused by injuries and improve public health.

Ethics Statement: Not applicable.

Funding Source: None.

Acknowledgments: None.

Conflict of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization: KHW, SHP, MNJ, JEL, EHJ. Data curation: KHW, MNJ. Formal analysis: SHP, MNJ. Supervision: JEL, EHJ. Writing – original draft: KHW. Writing – review & editing: KHW, SHP, MNJ, JEL, EHJ.

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    Available from: https://www.whofic.nl/sites/default/files/2018-05/ICECI%20in%20English.pdf
  5. Statistics Korea. 2024 Elderly statistics [Internet]. Statistics Korea; 2024 [cited 2024 Oct 28].
    Available from: https://www.kostat.go.kr/board.es?mid=a10301010000&bid=10820&act=view&list_no=432917
  6. World Health Organization (WHO). Injury prevention and control [Internet]. WHO; 2006 [cited 2024 Oct 28].
    Available from: https://applications.emro.who.int/dsaf/dsa730.pdf
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    Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240047136

Surveillance Reports

Public Health Weekly Report 2025; 18(3): 121-136

Published online January 16, 2025 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2025.18.3.2

Copyright © The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

2022 Injury Status of Inpatients in the Republic of Korea

Kyunghae Wang , Sohyun Park , Mini Jo , Jungeun Lee , Eunhee Jeon *

Division of Injury Prevention Policy, Department of Health Hazard Response, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Korea

Correspondence to:*Corresponding author: Eunhee Jeon, Tel: +82-43-219-2910, E-mail: jeh77@korea.kr

Received: November 5, 2024; Revised: December 3, 2024; Accepted: December 13, 2024

This is an Open Access aritcle distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Injury is one of the leading causes of death in the Republic of Korea (ROK), alongside cancer and heart disease, accounting for 27,812 deaths in 2023 (7.9% of all deaths). This article aims to identify the scale and changing patterns of injury cases in ROK, analyze their epidemiological characteristics from from the Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey in 2022. In 2022, the discharge rate of injured patients was 2,212 per 100,000 people and included 2,272 males and 2,153 females. Among individuals aged 65 years and older, females had a higher discharge rate than males. The average length of hospital stay for injured patients was 12.6 days, which is longer than the overall average for hospitalized patients (7.8 days), with an increase in hospital stay duration corresponding to an increase in age. The leading mechanisms of injury in injury-related discharges were slips and falls (1,070 per 100,000 population), traffic accidents (477), and collisions (239). Traffic accident-related injuries declined from 801 in 2012 to 477 in 2022, whereas injuries caused by slips and falls increased from 730 to 1,070 during the same period. The most common locations for injury occurrence were roads and highways (26.7%) and residential areas (20.1%). Males had a notably higher proportion of injuries at industrial and construction sites. Intentional self-harm showed an increasing trend among adolescents (ages 13–18 years) and individuals aged 65 and older. In adolescents, the discharge rate for cases of self-harm rose by 128.6%, with the rate for female adolescents being 3.2 times higher than that of their male counterparts.

Keywords: Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey, Wounds and injuries, Accidents, traffic, Accidental falls, Life cycle stages

Body

Key messages

① What is known previously?

Injury is a leading cause of death in the Republic of Korea, accounting for 27,812 deaths is 2023 (7.9% of all deaths).

② What new information is presented?

The discharge rates for major causes of injury per 100,000 population in 2012 were led by transporta-tion accidents (801), followed by slips and falls (730) and trauma from being struck (284). However, by 2022, slips and falls had become the leading cause, with 1,070 patients, followed by transportation accidents (477) and trauma from being struck (239).

③ What are implications?

To prevent injuries, establishing an injury prevention management system that develops and implements cause-specific prevention strategies and policies based on scientific evidence is essential.

Introduction

Injury is a major cause of death and disability worldwide, accounting for 4.4 million deaths in 2019 (approximately 8% of all deaths). Particularly for individuals aged 5–29 years, three of the top five causes of death (namely, traffic accidents, homicide, and suicide) are injury-related. Further, it is estimated that injuries account for approximately 10% of all disability-adjusted life years [1].

In the Republic of Korea (ROK), injury is a major cause of death, alongside cancer and heart disease. In 2023, injuries resulted in 27,812 deaths, representing 7.9% of total mortality [2].

Drawing on statistical data from the Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey (KNHDIS) in 2022, this article aims to identify the scale and changing patterns of injury cases in ROK, analyze their epidemiological characteristics, and provide evidence for the development of policies and guidelines for injury prevention.

Methods

1. Target Population

The target population of the KNHDIS includes patients discharged from general hospitals and all acute care general hospitals in the country during the survey year, excluding single-specialty hospitals. However, due to practical survey conditions, the sampled population was limited to patients who were hospitalized and discharged from general hospitals and health and medical clinics with 100 or more beds. The stratification variable for the population was the number of hospital beds, which was divided into four strata using the cumulative square root method [3]. For sample selection of hospitals, the Neyman allocation method was used to distribute the sample across these bed-size strata, followed by sorting within each stratum according to the number of beds, and then selecting hospitals using the systematic sampling method. This resulted in a sample of 250 hospitals of the initial 747 in the survey population. To strengthen the representativeness of injury statistics, regional emergency medical centers (n=37), regional trauma centers (n=4), and burn hospitals (n=5) were included in the sample. Systematic sampling was used to select sample patients, accounting for about 9% of those discharged between January 1 and December 31 from the 250 sampled hospitals, resulting in 285,796 discharged patients in 2022 [3].

2. Survey Content

The survey items of the KNHDIS consisted of general items for all discharged patients and in-depth items for injury cases. Each item included information on illness and treatment, such as medical institution details, sex, age, birth date, payment method, dates of admission and discharge, hospitalization route, principal diagnosis code, other diagnosis codes, and treatment outcomes, based on the medical records of the target hospital [4].

3. Data Analysis

The number of discharged patients and the mean length of hospital stay were estimated using weighted values to ensure that the sample population, selected based on the sampling method, accurately represented patients discharged from general hospitals with 100 or more beds in the country. The discharge rate was calculated as the number of discharges per 100,000 population by dividing the estimated number of discharged patients by the estimated population for the year and then multiplying by 100,000. Weights were calculated by multiplying the sampling rate of the hospitals in each stratum by the patient sampling rate of the sample hospitals. Statistical analysis was conducted using SAS (version 9.4; SAS Institute).

Results

In 2022, the overall discharge rate (per 100,000 population) for all injuries was 2,212. By sex, the rates were 2,272 for male patients and 2,153 for female patients. Over the past decade, the discharge rate for injuries has been 1.1 to 1.4 times higher in male patients than in female patients. By age, more female patients were discharged than male patients in the 65 years and older age group (Table 1).

Trends in discharge rates of injury patients by sex and age (2012–2022)
Category20122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Total2,3122,3012,3132,3562,2852,3652,3102,2502,0141,8482,212
0–14 yr963921964901804795781786613563664
15–24 yr1,6971,6081,6721,7471,6231,5671,4971,4311,1471,0731,375
25–34 yr1,9111,8361,8111,7451,6561,6391,5031,3761,2591,0601,256
35–44 yr1,9381,9471,8051,8171,7431,6851,6181,5191,2461,1381,241
45–54 yr2,6262,6322,5252,5642,3132,3262,2022,0361,8231,5521,716
55–64 yr3,0833,0703,0443,1373,0643,2633,1352,9782,6662,3922,719
65–74 yr3,9413,9414,0003,8303,8964,0943,9633,8443,4923,2123,759
+75 yr5,6445,4855,7866,1016,2726,6666,6756,8526,2115,8827,401
Male2,6942,6392,6202,6442,5122,5722,4602,3912,1651,9542,272
0–14 yr1,2551,1951,2431,1541,0161,082977991742726854
15–24 yr2,2752,1522,2722,3642,1862,1571,9671,9341,5311,4351,853
25–34 yr2,5952,4612,4112,2742,1382,1481,9341,7731,6061,3771,679
35–44 yr2,5062,5172,2912,3162,1962,1372,0021,8891,6261,4731,594
45–54 yr3,0983,0712,9422,9032,6412,6482,4632,3092,1871,8532,062
55–64 yr3,5463,5153,4343,5673,4053,5483,4123,2732,9832,6022,885
65–74 yr4,1253,9124,0003,9783,8313,9713,9903,8383,5993,2603,636
+75 yr5,1194,8735,0555,3155,4835,6535,6885,8575,3935,0015,949
Female1,9291,9622,0062,0682,0562,1572,1592,1091,8631,7422,153
0–14 yr647626665630577489572568477391464
15–24 yr1,0449929931,051992908975874728681856
25–34 yr1,1801,1661,1611,1671,1211,0701,017925865701776
35–44 yr1,3491,3571,3011,3001,2641,2071,2111,127844782866
45–54 yr2,1422,1832,1022,2201,9781,9971,9361,7571,4521,2451,362
55–64 yr2,6362,6382,6652,7182,7312,9852,8622,6882,3532,1852,554
65–74 yr3,7883,9644,0003,7033,9524,2023,9393,8503,3963,1693,871
+75 yr5,9255,8176,1896,5396,7157,2487,2557,4436,7016,4168,298

Unit: per 100,000 population. Discharge rates=(estimated number of discharged patients/estimated population for the year)×100,000..



The mean length of hospital stay for injury cases was 12.6 days, which was 4.8 days longer than that for all inpatients (7.8 days). By age, the mean length of hospital stay was 5.8 days for 0–14-year-olds and 16.6 days for those aged 75 years and older, indicating that the mean length of hospital stay increased with age (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Average length of stay by age for total patients and injury patients (2022)

The discharge rate (per 100,000 population) by major cause of injury was calculated using the 2005 estimated population as the standard population to allow comparisons across groups with different demographic structures. In 2022, the discharge rate was the highest for falls and trips (1,070), followed by transportation accidents (477) and collisions (239) (Figure 2). Compared to the discharge rate in 2012, transportation accidents decreased by 42.4%, from 771 in 2012 to 444 in 2022, while falls and trips increased by 42.0%, from 703 in 2012 to 998 in 2022 (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Trends in discharge rates of injury patients by mechanisms of injury (2012–2022)
Standardized population: estimated population of 2005.

In 2022, the discharge rate (per 100,000 population) for patients injured from falls and trips was 1.2 to 2.0 times higher in male patients than in female patients in the 0–54 age group, and 1.2 to 2.0 times higher in female patients than in male patients in the 55 years and older age group. The discharge rate increased with age, with female patients aged 75 years and older (5,957) being 29.5 times more likely to be discharged than female patients aged 0–14 years (202) (Table 2).

Trends in discharge rates of injury patients due to falls by sex and age (2012–2022)
Category20122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Total703748736783792873837860791774998
0–14 yr286287306308282286278286211209271
15–24 yr327318331378360385339365277285392
25–34 yr342346360338343378315315296256371
35–44 yr418446385416429433386381311329373
45–54 yr702753679685640683645598559502573
55–64 yr9961,0761,0051,0531,0731,2031,1061,0659899451,164
65–74 yr1,5961,6941,6451,6551,6951,8371,6961,7291,6311,4881,834
+75 yr3,2703,2923,3303,6153,7063,9913,9634,1993,7553,7354,836
Male686720702730716776726745679646813
0–14 yr381390416411356396345366257273337
15–24 yr441442463504477516451492376376509
25–34 yr479475480453448487375404358322482
35–44 yr560584510556560548495443383423461
45–54 yr803868766751689701690676639553631
55–64 yr9521,0079841,0251,0171,1211,0219839138461,045
65–74 yr1,2551,2481,2921,3151,2681,3861,3381,4111,3361,1821,431
+75 yr2,2502,3522,1882,3642,4932,7112,6242,7832,5562,3993,019
Female7207757718358679709499769039021,182
0–14 yr184177188198202170206202162141202
15–24 yr198178181235228238215224170185264
25–34 yr196207230212227256247213227182245
35–44 yr270302257270290311271315235229281
45–54 yr598636592619590665599518477451513
55–64 yr1,0381,1431,0251,0791,1281,2821,1891,1451,0651,0431,281
65–74 yr1,8802,0681,9431,9462,0702,2372,0162,0151,8971,7662,201
+75 yr3,8163,8043,9614,3124,3874,7264,7495,0384,4754,5455,957

Unit: per 100,000 population. Discharge rates=(estimated number of discharged patients/estimated population for the year)×100,000..



The primary locations of injury were streets and main roads (26.7% of all injuries, 29.2% of male patients, and 24.1% of female patients) and residences (20.1% of all injuries, 13.2% of male patients, and 27.4% of female patients). For male patients, industrial and construction sites accounted for 10 times more injuries than for female patients (7.0% of male patients and 0.7% of female patients), whereas female patients were more likely to be injured in commercial facilities such as stores and shopping malls (2.3% of male patients and 2.5% of female patients). By age, the most common place of injury was the residence (38.1%) for those aged 75 years and older, while streets and main roads were the most common for those aged 0–74 years (Table 3).

Number of discharged injury patients by location of injury: by sex and age
CategoryTotalHomeResidential institutionSchool, educational areaSports‧ athletics areaPublic highway, street or roadRecreational area, cultural area, public buildingCommercial areaIndustrial or construction areaFarmOther transport areaCountrysideMedical service areaOtherUnspecified
NN %N%N %N%N %N%N%N%N%N%N%N%N%N%
Total1,037,912.1209,068.420.110,410.81.09,120.10.932,456.53.1277,095.726.78,430.20.824,656.72.440,682.43.922,360.62.23,199.80.326,418.82.517,388.81.715,569.01.5341,054.232.9
0–14 yr36,939.95,400.814.679.40.24,318.511.74,118.111.17,866.321.31,930.05.2891.82.4*0.0*0.0*0.1651.11.8218.70.6931.12.510,489.628.4
15–24 yr70,823.07,048.410.01,321.11.93,671.05.210,065.114.221,078.129.8620.30.91,885.32.71,070.51.5*0.2*0.0709.71.0285.90.4842.91.222,065.931.2
25–34 yr83,202.67,669.09.2338.40.4149.70.27,240.48.728,506.134.3702.30.83,199.53.84,247.25.1227.00.3338.60.41,846.52.2418.40.5886.41.127,433.233.0
35–44 yr86,088.29,684.611.2229.30.3140.80.24,266.55.028,070.232.6558.30.62,443.92.85,501.86.4463.20.5301.30.31,471.81.7468.40.51,291.21.531,197.036.2
45–54 yr130,692.117,095.213.1435.90.3130.00.12,867.82.242,486.132.5655.00.54,158.73.29,703.27.41,371.71.0301.10.23,718.12.81,076.70.81,946.61.544,746.134.2
55–64 yr201,658.828,016.113.9486.10.2128.60.12,041.01.059,874.129.7953.80.55,369.52.714,215.67.04,540.32.3707.40.48,723.24.32,486.11.23,576.81.870,539.935.0
65–74 yr171,525.836,273.621.11,069.10.6123.60.11,313.90.849,006.428.61,052.90.63,389.42.05,352.63.17,737.34.5809.30.55,816.03.43,943.02.32,592.81.553,045.730.9
+75 yr256,981.897,880.838.16,451.62.5457.90.2543.60.240,208.415.61,957.70.83,318.81.3591.40.27,889.43.1670.60.33,482.31.48,491.63.33,501.11.481,536.731.7
Male529,186.969,771.613.23,560.90.76,147.31.225,945.84.9154,648.429.23,898.10.712,170.22.336,912.97.010,136.11.91,452.20.315,913.83.07,187.61.48,417.71.6173,024.232.7
0–14 yr24,543.02,968.712.179.40.33,106.212.73,504.014.35,264.821.51,093.74.5518.52.1*0.0*0.0*0.0277.41.1167.10.7548.12.27,015.028.6
15–24 yr49,915.83,796.27.61,294.42.62,594.25.28,260.916.514,446.128.9372.00.71,340.62.71,058.62.1*0.2*0.0577.61.2*0.3809.01.615,125.530.3
25–34 yr59,812.04,119.86.9244.60.4*0.25,938.29.919,413.332.5511.90.92,404.04.03,770.66.3175.80.3*0.31,475.22.5*0.2701.21.220,659.634.5
35–44 yr57,951.03,942.86.8206.00.4*0.13,827.46.618,697.532.3338.20.61,848.43.25,193.39.0436.40.8268.00.51,092.81.9154.80.31,084.21.920,794.735.9
45–54 yr80,675.88,400.310.4225.20.3*0.02,450.13.025,144.331.2336.80.42,480.03.19,071.011.2626.40.8129.10.22,501.13.1592.60.71,257.81.627,420.934.0
55–64 yr104,646.810,951.210.590.70.1*0.11,037.61.029,851.028.5362.50.31,891.21.812,668.512.12,356.82.3267.80.34,851.84.61,415.71.41,896.91.836,949.135.3
65–74 yr77,037.212,568.316.3211.60.3*0.1662.20.924,085.131.3386.20.51,061.71.44,674.26.13,523.24.6459.60.63,283.14.31,756.42.31,351.11.822,942.229.8
+75 yr74,605.223,024.130.91,208.91.6*0.2265.50.417,746.223.8496.70.7625.70.8476.60.62,906.13.9163.60.21,854.92.52,833.93.8769.21.022,117.229.6
Female508,725.3139,296.827.46,849.91.32,972.80.66,510.71.3122,447.324.14,532.10.912,486.52.53,769.50.712,224.52.41,747.60.310,505.02.110,201.22.07,151.31.4168,030.033.0
0–14 yr12,396.92,432.119.6*0.01,212.39.8614.25.02,601.521.0836.26.7373.23.0*0.0*0.1*0.3373.83.0*0.4383.03.13,474.728.0
15–24 yr20,907.23,252.115.6*0.11,076.85.21,804.28.66,632.031.7248.31.2544.72.6*0.1*0.1*0.2132.10.6156.60.7*0.26,940.533.2
25–34 yr23,390.53,549.215.2*0.4*0.21,302.25.69,092.838.9190.30.8795.53.4476.52.0*0.2174.50.7371.41.6280.41.2185.20.86,773.529.0
35–44 yr28,137.35,741.720.4*0.1*0.3439.21.69,372.733.3220.10.8595.52.1308.51.1*0.1*0.1379.11.3313.61.1207.10.710,402.337.0
45–54 yr50,016.38,694.817.4*0.4*0.2417.80.817,341.834.7318.20.61,678.73.4632.11.3745.31.5*0.31,217.02.4484.11.0688.71.417,325.234.6
55–64 yr97,012.017,064.917.6395.40.4*0.11,003.41.030,023.230.9591.30.63,478.33.61,547.11.62,183.62.3439.60.53,871.44.01,070.51.11,679.91.733,590.834.6
65–74 yr94,488.523,705.425.1857.50.9*0.1651.70.724,921.226.4666.70.72,327.62.5678.40.74,214.14.5349.80.42,532.82.72,186.62.31,241.71.330,103.531.9
+75 yr182,376.674,856.641.05,242.72.9341.40.2278.10.222,462.212.31,461.00.82,693.01.5*0.14,983.32.7507.00.31,627.50.95,657.73.12,731.91.559,419.532.6

*Statistics will not be provided for cases with fewer than 5 samples..



Intentional self-harm was more frequent among adolescents (13–18 years, 64 cases) and the elderly (65 years and older, 52 cases) compared with that in young adults (19–64 years, 32 cases) and children (0–12 years, 1 case). Compared with that in 2012, intentional self-harm among adolescents increased by 128.6% (from 28 cases in 2012 to 64 cases in 2022), while it decreased by 35.8% (from 81 cases in 2012 to 52 cases in 2022) among older adults aged 65 years and older (Figure 3). The discharge rates for intentional self-harm among adolescents, who showed the largest increase, continue to rise, with female adolescents having 3.2 times more intentional self-harm discharges than male adolescents.

Figure 3. Discharge rates of intentional self-harm patients by life stage
*If the standard error of the estimate is over 25% or the sample size is less than 5, the statistics may not have a sufficient level of reliability, so caution is advised in the use.

Discussion

According to the 2022 KNHDIS, injury remained a major cause of death and disability, with discharge rates and lengths of stay for injury still higher than those for the general patient population. Notably, there were significant differences by age, sex, and location for falls/trips and intentional self-harm, the major causes of injury.

In 2023, the death rate from injury was 54.4 per 100,000 population, with the lowest rate (2.8) in 1–9-year-olds and the highest rate (285.8) in those aged 80 years and older, indicating an increase with age [2]. The major causes of death were unintentional homicide and transportation accidents for those under 10 years of age, and suicide, falls, and transportation accidents for those aged 80 years or older.

Even among hospitalized patients, falls/trips were the main cause of injury in the elderly, while intentional self-harm was rapidly increasing in the adolescent population, suggesting the need for analysis and customized responses based on the characteristics of injuries by age. By place of injury, streets and main roads, as well as residences, accounted for a large proportion of injuries. Male patients had a higher incidence of injuries at industrial and construction sites, while female patients were more likely to be injured at commercial facilities.

In 2024, the population aged 65 and older accounted for 19.2% of the total population and is expected to reach 20.6% in 2025, marking the entry into a super-aging society. The medical expenditure per elderly person is 2.4 times higher than the overall average [5], indicating that the burden of aging-related diseases is expected to become a major focus of national health care in the future.

Internationally, falls and trips in the elderly are considered a major health problem. In the United States, the death rate from falls and trips increased by approximately 41% from 2012 to 2021. Therefore, a greater expansion of fall prevention exercise programs, education, and environmental improvements is needed for the elderly.

In the past, injuries were viewed as accidental and unavoidable “accidents.” However, as our understanding of the nature of injuries has deepened, there has been a shift in perceptions and attitudes, leading to the recognition that both unintentional and intentional injuries are largely preventable public health issues [6].

To prevent the physical and mental health effects of falls, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has made efforts to reduce the incidence of injuries from diverse perspectives and minimize the sequelae of disability in the elderly by developing and distributing exercise programs and specialist training programs for fall prevention to relevant ministries and agencies. The World Health Organization has also emphasized that science-based, specific strategies are cost-effective for preventing injuries [7]. The KNHDIS, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024, conducts an in-depth analysis of the current status of injured patients admitted to hospitals and is used for research, policy formulation, and as an indicator for the National Health Plan (Health Plan 2030). In the future, it will be necessary to further enhance the national injury surveillance system to strengthen the foundation for developing injury prevention policies. Additionally, the injury prevention and management system should be continuously strengthened by developing and implementing injury prevention programs in partnership with local communities. This will help reduce the number of deaths and disabilities caused by injuries and improve public health.

Declarations

Ethics Statement: Not applicable.

Funding Source: None.

Acknowledgments: None.

Conflict of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization: KHW, SHP, MNJ, JEL, EHJ. Data curation: KHW, MNJ. Formal analysis: SHP, MNJ. Supervision: JEL, EHJ. Writing – original draft: KHW. Writing – review & editing: KHW, SHP, MNJ, JEL, EHJ.

Fig 1.

Figure 1.Average length of stay by age for total patients and injury patients (2022)
Public Health Weekly Report 2025; 18: 121-136https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2025.18.3.2

Fig 2.

Figure 2.Trends in discharge rates of injury patients by mechanisms of injury (2012–2022)
Standardized population: estimated population of 2005.
Public Health Weekly Report 2025; 18: 121-136https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2025.18.3.2

Fig 3.

Figure 3.Discharge rates of intentional self-harm patients by life stage
*If the standard error of the estimate is over 25% or the sample size is less than 5, the statistics may not have a sufficient level of reliability, so caution is advised in the use.
Public Health Weekly Report 2025; 18: 121-136https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2025.18.3.2
Trends in discharge rates of injury patients by sex and age (2012–2022)
Category20122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Total2,3122,3012,3132,3562,2852,3652,3102,2502,0141,8482,212
0–14 yr963921964901804795781786613563664
15–24 yr1,6971,6081,6721,7471,6231,5671,4971,4311,1471,0731,375
25–34 yr1,9111,8361,8111,7451,6561,6391,5031,3761,2591,0601,256
35–44 yr1,9381,9471,8051,8171,7431,6851,6181,5191,2461,1381,241
45–54 yr2,6262,6322,5252,5642,3132,3262,2022,0361,8231,5521,716
55–64 yr3,0833,0703,0443,1373,0643,2633,1352,9782,6662,3922,719
65–74 yr3,9413,9414,0003,8303,8964,0943,9633,8443,4923,2123,759
+75 yr5,6445,4855,7866,1016,2726,6666,6756,8526,2115,8827,401
Male2,6942,6392,6202,6442,5122,5722,4602,3912,1651,9542,272
0–14 yr1,2551,1951,2431,1541,0161,082977991742726854
15–24 yr2,2752,1522,2722,3642,1862,1571,9671,9341,5311,4351,853
25–34 yr2,5952,4612,4112,2742,1382,1481,9341,7731,6061,3771,679
35–44 yr2,5062,5172,2912,3162,1962,1372,0021,8891,6261,4731,594
45–54 yr3,0983,0712,9422,9032,6412,6482,4632,3092,1871,8532,062
55–64 yr3,5463,5153,4343,5673,4053,5483,4123,2732,9832,6022,885
65–74 yr4,1253,9124,0003,9783,8313,9713,9903,8383,5993,2603,636
+75 yr5,1194,8735,0555,3155,4835,6535,6885,8575,3935,0015,949
Female1,9291,9622,0062,0682,0562,1572,1592,1091,8631,7422,153
0–14 yr647626665630577489572568477391464
15–24 yr1,0449929931,051992908975874728681856
25–34 yr1,1801,1661,1611,1671,1211,0701,017925865701776
35–44 yr1,3491,3571,3011,3001,2641,2071,2111,127844782866
45–54 yr2,1422,1832,1022,2201,9781,9971,9361,7571,4521,2451,362
55–64 yr2,6362,6382,6652,7182,7312,9852,8622,6882,3532,1852,554
65–74 yr3,7883,9644,0003,7033,9524,2023,9393,8503,3963,1693,871
+75 yr5,9255,8176,1896,5396,7157,2487,2557,4436,7016,4168,298

Unit: per 100,000 population. Discharge rates=(estimated number of discharged patients/estimated population for the year)×100,000..


Trends in discharge rates of injury patients due to falls by sex and age (2012–2022)
Category20122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Total703748736783792873837860791774998
0–14 yr286287306308282286278286211209271
15–24 yr327318331378360385339365277285392
25–34 yr342346360338343378315315296256371
35–44 yr418446385416429433386381311329373
45–54 yr702753679685640683645598559502573
55–64 yr9961,0761,0051,0531,0731,2031,1061,0659899451,164
65–74 yr1,5961,6941,6451,6551,6951,8371,6961,7291,6311,4881,834
+75 yr3,2703,2923,3303,6153,7063,9913,9634,1993,7553,7354,836
Male686720702730716776726745679646813
0–14 yr381390416411356396345366257273337
15–24 yr441442463504477516451492376376509
25–34 yr479475480453448487375404358322482
35–44 yr560584510556560548495443383423461
45–54 yr803868766751689701690676639553631
55–64 yr9521,0079841,0251,0171,1211,0219839138461,045
65–74 yr1,2551,2481,2921,3151,2681,3861,3381,4111,3361,1821,431
+75 yr2,2502,3522,1882,3642,4932,7112,6242,7832,5562,3993,019
Female7207757718358679709499769039021,182
0–14 yr184177188198202170206202162141202
15–24 yr198178181235228238215224170185264
25–34 yr196207230212227256247213227182245
35–44 yr270302257270290311271315235229281
45–54 yr598636592619590665599518477451513
55–64 yr1,0381,1431,0251,0791,1281,2821,1891,1451,0651,0431,281
65–74 yr1,8802,0681,9431,9462,0702,2372,0162,0151,8971,7662,201
+75 yr3,8163,8043,9614,3124,3874,7264,7495,0384,4754,5455,957

Unit: per 100,000 population. Discharge rates=(estimated number of discharged patients/estimated population for the year)×100,000..


Number of discharged injury patients by location of injury: by sex and age
CategoryTotalHomeResidential institutionSchool, educational areaSports‧ athletics areaPublic highway, street or roadRecreational area, cultural area, public buildingCommercial areaIndustrial or construction areaFarmOther transport areaCountrysideMedical service areaOtherUnspecified
NN %N%N %N%N %N%N%N%N%N%N%N%N%N%
Total1,037,912.1209,068.420.110,410.81.09,120.10.932,456.53.1277,095.726.78,430.20.824,656.72.440,682.43.922,360.62.23,199.80.326,418.82.517,388.81.715,569.01.5341,054.232.9
0–14 yr36,939.95,400.814.679.40.24,318.511.74,118.111.17,866.321.31,930.05.2891.82.4*0.0*0.0*0.1651.11.8218.70.6931.12.510,489.628.4
15–24 yr70,823.07,048.410.01,321.11.93,671.05.210,065.114.221,078.129.8620.30.91,885.32.71,070.51.5*0.2*0.0709.71.0285.90.4842.91.222,065.931.2
25–34 yr83,202.67,669.09.2338.40.4149.70.27,240.48.728,506.134.3702.30.83,199.53.84,247.25.1227.00.3338.60.41,846.52.2418.40.5886.41.127,433.233.0
35–44 yr86,088.29,684.611.2229.30.3140.80.24,266.55.028,070.232.6558.30.62,443.92.85,501.86.4463.20.5301.30.31,471.81.7468.40.51,291.21.531,197.036.2
45–54 yr130,692.117,095.213.1435.90.3130.00.12,867.82.242,486.132.5655.00.54,158.73.29,703.27.41,371.71.0301.10.23,718.12.81,076.70.81,946.61.544,746.134.2
55–64 yr201,658.828,016.113.9486.10.2128.60.12,041.01.059,874.129.7953.80.55,369.52.714,215.67.04,540.32.3707.40.48,723.24.32,486.11.23,576.81.870,539.935.0
65–74 yr171,525.836,273.621.11,069.10.6123.60.11,313.90.849,006.428.61,052.90.63,389.42.05,352.63.17,737.34.5809.30.55,816.03.43,943.02.32,592.81.553,045.730.9
+75 yr256,981.897,880.838.16,451.62.5457.90.2543.60.240,208.415.61,957.70.83,318.81.3591.40.27,889.43.1670.60.33,482.31.48,491.63.33,501.11.481,536.731.7
Male529,186.969,771.613.23,560.90.76,147.31.225,945.84.9154,648.429.23,898.10.712,170.22.336,912.97.010,136.11.91,452.20.315,913.83.07,187.61.48,417.71.6173,024.232.7
0–14 yr24,543.02,968.712.179.40.33,106.212.73,504.014.35,264.821.51,093.74.5518.52.1*0.0*0.0*0.0277.41.1167.10.7548.12.27,015.028.6
15–24 yr49,915.83,796.27.61,294.42.62,594.25.28,260.916.514,446.128.9372.00.71,340.62.71,058.62.1*0.2*0.0577.61.2*0.3809.01.615,125.530.3
25–34 yr59,812.04,119.86.9244.60.4*0.25,938.29.919,413.332.5511.90.92,404.04.03,770.66.3175.80.3*0.31,475.22.5*0.2701.21.220,659.634.5
35–44 yr57,951.03,942.86.8206.00.4*0.13,827.46.618,697.532.3338.20.61,848.43.25,193.39.0436.40.8268.00.51,092.81.9154.80.31,084.21.920,794.735.9
45–54 yr80,675.88,400.310.4225.20.3*0.02,450.13.025,144.331.2336.80.42,480.03.19,071.011.2626.40.8129.10.22,501.13.1592.60.71,257.81.627,420.934.0
55–64 yr104,646.810,951.210.590.70.1*0.11,037.61.029,851.028.5362.50.31,891.21.812,668.512.12,356.82.3267.80.34,851.84.61,415.71.41,896.91.836,949.135.3
65–74 yr77,037.212,568.316.3211.60.3*0.1662.20.924,085.131.3386.20.51,061.71.44,674.26.13,523.24.6459.60.63,283.14.31,756.42.31,351.11.822,942.229.8
+75 yr74,605.223,024.130.91,208.91.6*0.2265.50.417,746.223.8496.70.7625.70.8476.60.62,906.13.9163.60.21,854.92.52,833.93.8769.21.022,117.229.6
Female508,725.3139,296.827.46,849.91.32,972.80.66,510.71.3122,447.324.14,532.10.912,486.52.53,769.50.712,224.52.41,747.60.310,505.02.110,201.22.07,151.31.4168,030.033.0
0–14 yr12,396.92,432.119.6*0.01,212.39.8614.25.02,601.521.0836.26.7373.23.0*0.0*0.1*0.3373.83.0*0.4383.03.13,474.728.0
15–24 yr20,907.23,252.115.6*0.11,076.85.21,804.28.66,632.031.7248.31.2544.72.6*0.1*0.1*0.2132.10.6156.60.7*0.26,940.533.2
25–34 yr23,390.53,549.215.2*0.4*0.21,302.25.69,092.838.9190.30.8795.53.4476.52.0*0.2174.50.7371.41.6280.41.2185.20.86,773.529.0
35–44 yr28,137.35,741.720.4*0.1*0.3439.21.69,372.733.3220.10.8595.52.1308.51.1*0.1*0.1379.11.3313.61.1207.10.710,402.337.0
45–54 yr50,016.38,694.817.4*0.4*0.2417.80.817,341.834.7318.20.61,678.73.4632.11.3745.31.5*0.31,217.02.4484.11.0688.71.417,325.234.6
55–64 yr97,012.017,064.917.6395.40.4*0.11,003.41.030,023.230.9591.30.63,478.33.61,547.11.62,183.62.3439.60.53,871.44.01,070.51.11,679.91.733,590.834.6
65–74 yr94,488.523,705.425.1857.50.9*0.1651.70.724,921.226.4666.70.72,327.62.5678.40.74,214.14.5349.80.42,532.82.72,186.62.31,241.71.330,103.531.9
+75 yr182,376.674,856.641.05,242.72.9341.40.2278.10.222,462.212.31,461.00.82,693.01.5*0.14,983.32.7507.00.31,627.50.95,657.73.12,731.91.559,419.532.6

*Statistics will not be provided for cases with fewer than 5 samples..


References

  1. World Health Organization (WHO). Injuries and violence [Internet]. WHO; 2024 [cited 2024 Oct 28]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/injuries-and-violence
  2. Statistics Korea. 2023 Causes of death statistics [Internet]. Statistics Korea; 2024 [cited 2024 Oct 10]. Available from: https://kostat.go.kr/board.es?mid=a10301060200&bid=218&act=view&list_no=433106
  3. Dalenius T, Hodges JL. Minimum variance stratification. J Am Stat Assoc 1959;54:88-101.
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