Article Text
Abstract
Mining is a high-risk industry with both continued accidents and occupational disease, despite controls introduced in the industry. In this study, we looked at the sex differences in mortality between male and female miners in South Africa.
Methods The use of vital registration data for monitoring mortality in miners has largely been unexplored in South Africa. Statistics South Africa provides data from 2013 to 2015 which was used in students-t-tests along with proportion tests to investigate differences between death in all women and women miners along with differences in deaths in male miners and women miners. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate mortality odds ratios (MORs) for the underlying cause of death in these groups, with adjustments for age, education level, province of death and smoking status.
Results Of the 8769 deaths recorded with occupation miner ion the years 2013–2015, only 5.7% were in females. Significant differences between all women and women miners were found in age at death (58.8 vs 47.8), no 1 cause of death (ill-defined vs TB) and education (43.6% vs 63.6%). MORs were significantly increased in women miners for TB, HIV and external causes of death compared to all women while being protected from lifestyle and chronic diseases. Women miners compared to male miners had increased odds of HIV death and lifestyle diseases but a similar risk of external causes of death.
Discussion Women miners appear to die at significantly younger ages than both male miners and other women despite a higher level of education. This may be due to the increased mortality due to HIV and external causes of death. Thus increased controls are required on mines to protect the health of women miners.