Occupational mortality of California women, 1979-1981.

A review of California's mortality data for 1979 through 1981, encompassing 61,561 female and 111,877 male deaths, shows differential female mortality risk by labor force status and by occupation. High patterns of risk were found for women in a number of occupations, including waitresses, licensed vocational nurses and health aides, cosmetologists, telephone operators, housekeepers and janitors, and launderers and dry cleaners. Patterns of mortality risk were similar for each race within these occupational groups. The mortality risks for women were generally higher than those for men. The association of mortality with certain occupational does not necessarily imply a causal relationship but is certainly a signal that further research is required and that physicians need to consider work-related factors in evaluating the health of women.