title: Mortality patterns of Australian male farmers and farm managers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the all-cause and specific-cause death rates of Australian male farmers and farm managers aged 25-74 years, with other Australian men.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were extracted from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Death Registration Collection covering the calendar years of 1999-2002. Denominator data for male farmers and farm managers were drawn from the 2001 Australian Population Census. Direct age-standardized death rates were calculated and compared with the general Australian male population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 4025 male farmers or farm managers who died in this period represented 3.35% of all male deaths in the 25-74 year age range. The all-cause death rate for farmers and farm managers (730/100,000) was 33% higher than that of the Australian male population of the same age (549/100,000) (standardized mortality ratio (SMR)=1.33). Causes of death related to neoplasms (SMR=1.37), circulatory disease (SMR=1.40) and all external causes (SMR=1.37), were all statistically higher than the comparison population. Within these groupings, ischaemic heart disease (SMR=1.39), other circulatory disease (SMR=1.42), prostate cancer (SMR=2.40), lymphohaematopoietic cancer (SMR=1.80) and transport injuries (SMR=2.06), were all significantly higher.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate that Australian male farmers and farm managers are a disadvantaged group in terms of health status. The elevated rates of all-cause and specific-cause mortality compared with the Australian comparison population, illustrate both the need and scope for further investigation of these issues.
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety, University of Sydney, Moree, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Lyn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fragar
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Depczynski
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lower
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D000383:Agriculture / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data