Introduction:

In the liturature, farmers have higher mortality from some type of cancer and external causes. However, the results are not conclusive, due to differential approaches and methodologies used in the studies, and differences in the activities developed by farmers in the geographical areas.

Objective:

Describe the main causes of death of farmers in Colombia from 2010 to 2016, and identify if the occupation itself is a risk factor for mortality.

Methodology:

We used odds ratios adjusted by logistic regression and socioeconomics variables as a measure of occupational risk in each cause of death. Death certificates were used to establish underlying cause of death.

Results:

Farmers have higher risk of die by neoplasm (OR; 1.14 CI 95% 1.12-1.71), circulatory system diseases (OR; 1.030 IC 95% 1.01-1.04), and missdefinition disease (OR; 1.22 IC 95% 1.15 - 1.30).

Discussion:

Our results could be biased, due the retrospective design. Nonetheless, these results could be consistent with the existence of risk more than magnitude itself.

Conclusions:

To have a major precision in the risk estimation is necessary institutional efforts to make prospective studies as AHS in United States.