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[Why do farmers die more often from lung diseases?]
Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift
|April 8, 1995
Summary
Swiss farmers experienced higher lung disease mortality, particularly from organic dust, despite perceived healthy work environments. This highlights multifactorial risks and the need for improved safety and social security measures.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Environmental Epidemiology
- Pulmonary Medicine
Context:
- Swiss mortality data from 1988-1992 revealed elevated lung disease deaths in the farming population.
- Specific conditions like bronchitis, asthma, and pneumoconiosis due to organic dust showed increased proportional mortality rates (PMR).
Purpose:
- To investigate the paradoxical increase in lung disease mortality among farmers.
- To identify contributing factors beyond the perceived healthy rural environment.
Summary:
- Farmers exhibited higher mortality rates for lung diseases, with pneumoconiosis due to organic dust (PMR 841) being particularly high.
- Stock-farmers displayed a different chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality pattern compared to vegetable farmers and wine-growers.
- The study suggests multifactorial risks, including exposure to organic dust, dangerous work, and socio-cultural factors, contribute to this increased mortality.
Impact:
- Findings challenge the notion of rural air being universally healthy for farmers.
- Emphasizes the need for better understanding of occupational hazards and pathogenic organic substances in agriculture.
- Highlights the importance of comprehensive prophylaxis, including air pollution control, safety measures, job adaptation, and social security policies.