Cause-specific mortality among banana plantation workers in the French West Indies.
Cause-specific mortality among banana plantation workers in the French West Indies.
Where did the research take place?
The study site has not been established. Author addresses may differ from where the research occurred.
Rennes, FR · Author affiliation
Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, IRSET (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France daniele.luce@inserm.fr.Location evidence
A plain-language reading has not been prepared for this paper yet.
Original abstract
ObjectiveTo describe cause-specific mortality patterns of banana plantation workers in the French West Indies.MethodsThe study included 11 221 farmers and farm workers who had work in banana cultivation in the French West Indies (Guadeloupe or Martinique) between 1973 and 1993, followed up from January 1981 to December 2017. We calculated standardised mortality ratios (SMRs), causal mortality ratios (CMRs) and relative standardised mortality ratios (rSMRs) using regional reference rates.ResultsSMR analyses showed mortality deficits in the overall mortality and for almost all causes of deaths. In contrast, analyses using CMRs revealed a significant excess in the overall mortality. The CMRs were significantly elevated for all cancers combined and for stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and haematopoietic malignancies, as well as for several non-cancer causes of death, including diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, non-ischaemic heart diseases, pneumonia and diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. rSMRs were in general consistent with CMRs with regards to the direction of the association, although rSMRs were lower and in some instances not statistically significant.ConclusionThe CMR approach showed an elevated mortality for several causes of death, for which work in banana farming and/or exposure to pesticides are plausible explanations.