Abstract
This article describes patterns of tuberculosis comortality with silicosis using national multiple-cause-of-death data. Mortality data are prepared annually by the National Center for Health Statistics, which records and codes all causes of death, both underlying and contributing, reported on the death certificate. We analyzed these data to evaluate tuberculosis mortality in decedents with silicosis from 1979 to 1991. The analysis was restricted to decedents 15 years and older at death and to black males and white males. Four groups were included in the analysis: all decedents with death certificate mention of silicosis; two comparison groups, one consisting of all decedents with asbestosis and another including all decedents with coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP); and a referent group composed of all decedents without silicosis, asbestosis, or CWP. Age- and race-specific proportions of deaths with tuberculosis were computed for all groups. Years of potential life lost (YPLL) to age 65 and to life expectancy were also computed. Among the 4261 decedents with silicosis from 1979 to 1991, tuberculosis mortality was 4.2 percent overall, ranging up to a maximum of 11 percent in the 35 to 44 year age group. Tuberculosis mortality in the referent group was 0.27 percent, reaching a maximum of 0.52 percent at 35 to 44 years. Among decedents with CWP, tuberculosis mortality was 0.77 percent overall; among decedents with asbestosis, tuberculosis mortality was 0.53 percent overall. In all age groups, proportions with tuberculosis among decedents with silicosis were at least four times those in both the comparison and reference groups. Among decedents with silicosis, tuberculosis mortality in black males was over twice that in white male decedents, 9.1 and 3.4 percent, respectively. Per capita YPLL to age 65 in decedents with both tuberculosis and silicosis was 1.3 times those in decedents with silicosis and no tuberculosis. These results from national mortality data are indicative of substantially higher tuberculosis mortality associated with silicosis. Althouse, R.B.; Bang, K.M.; Castellan, R.M.: Tuberculosis Comortality with Silicosis—United States, 1979–1991. Appl. Occup. Environ. Hyg. 10(12):1037–1041; 1995.