Heat and Harm: The Effect of Temperature on Severe Agricultural Trauma in South Korea

Agriculture is recognized as a high-risk occupation for severe traumatic injuries. Among various occupational hazards, environmental factors—particularly ambient temperature—may significantly influence the incidence of such trauma. This study investigated the association between temperature variation and the incidence of severe agricultural trauma in South Korea. We estimated the fixed effects panel regression model using data from the 2016–2021 Community-based Severe Trauma Survey, merged with daily meteorological records. By controlling for weather-related covariates and time-variant regional characteristics, this approach identified the causal effect of temperature on the incidence of severe agricultural trauma. Relative to 15–20°C, lower temperatures had little impact on the incidence of severe agricultural trauma, whereas higher temperatures increased incidence in a monotonic pattern—rising by about 39% at 20–25°C, 61% at 25–30°C, and 123% at >30°C. By trauma type, temperatures above 20°C monotonically increased trauma risk, with the strongest effect observed for exposure to or ingestion of harmful substances compared with transportation-related accidents and slips, trips, and falls. Elevated ambient temperatures are a significant predictor of severe agricultural trauma incidence. These findings highlight the need for preventive strategies and policy interventions tailored to mitigate temperature-related risks among agricultural workers, particularly during periods of extreme heat.