Morbidity among self-employed farmers in Norway

A health survey among 923 self-employed Norwegian farmers was carried out in 1982 to investigate the state of non-hospital morbidity in the agricultural community. 85% of the nation-wide representative sample of active farmers answered the questionnaire. A disease was recorded, according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD, 8th revision), when the farmer had been confined to bed/had reduced activity, or had consulted a medical practitioner, or used medication, all during the last 14 days. Congenital diseases were also recorded. The following findings were elicited: 56% of all morbidity came under the three headings cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, injuries; the incidence of cardiovascular diseases is rising in spite of the reduced average age of the agricultural population; within agriculture the following groups have the highest work-related morbidity: full-time farmers, grain-growing farmers, those farmers who have the greatest daily work load, and farmers who are physically exhausted at the end of the day.