Mortality rates for farmers and fishermen in Japan compared with England and Wales.

Life tables for all causes of death for farmers and fishermen in Japan have been compared with those for England and Wales. Considering all causes of death, there are no occupational differences between farmers and fishermen in Japan. On the other hand, there are large occupational differences indicating that fishermen are worse off than farmers in England and Wales. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) for each disease in terms of occupation have also been compared in the two countries. The SMRs for leading causes of death in Japan, such as cerebrovascular disease, are significantly lower for fishermen than for farmers in Japan. On the contrary, SMRs for leading causes of death in England and Wales, such as ischemic heart disease and lung cancer, are significantly higher for fishermen than for farmers in England and Wales. However the SMRs for ischemic heart disease and lung cancer are significantly higher for fishermen than for farmers in both countries.