PREVALENCE OF CHRONIC DISEASES AND IMPAIRMENTS AMONG US FARMERS, 1986-1990

Farmers in the United States suffer disproportionately from certain ch ronic diseases and impairments. This analysis estimated the prevalence of selected diseases among farmers and compared these rates with thos e for other US workers. Five years (1986-1990) of National Health Inte rview Survey data on white male workers were combined to provide a bas is for estimating the prevalence of selected conditions and impairment s among this subgroup. Crude prevalence rates were significantly eleva ted for farmers compared with other workers for cardiovascular disease s, arthritis, skin cancer, hearing loss, and amputations. These elevat ions persisted when farmers were compared with blue-collar workers. Th e crude prevalence of orthopedic impairments and chronic respiratory d iseases was not elevated among farmers, but the age-adjusted prevalenc e ratios for cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, and amputations were significantly elevated for farmers as compared with other workers. The prevalence of hearing loss was significantly higher only for farmers older than 65 years. This method of pooling data holds promise for stu dying disease rates in other small segments of the US population.