Occupational mortality patterns among British Columbia farm workers.

To examine mortality risks for farm laborers proportional mortality ratios (PMRs) were calculated for 2,328 British Columbia farm workers who died at age 20 years or over during the period 1950 through 1978. Significantly fewer deaths than expected from degenerative heart disease (PMR = 91, p less than .01) and from all cancers combined (PMR = 78, p less than .001) were observed. Deaths from bronchitis and emphysema (PMR = 70, p less than .05) were also fewer than anticipated. Elevated risks of death were found for accidents (PMR = 129, p less than .001), for homicide (PMR = 242, p less than .01), and for pneumonia (PMR = 146, p less than .001).