Mortality/Morbidity
Frequency: United States
Race
Sex
Age
Silicosis predominantly affects male workers, reflecting the occupations at risk.
No precise information regarding age is available.
Over the past 4 decades, the number of people dying with silicosis in the United States has declined dramatically because of improved workplace protection, but it still accounts for potential life lost before age 65 years. In 1968, 12 people per million population died with silicosis; in 1991, the number approximated 2 people per million population.
Accurate assessment of the frequency of silicosis and other pneumoconioses in the United States and in other countries is impossible for many reasons. The number of people who are at risk and who are affected by the disease is unknown because of poor record-keeping practices, time delays from exposure to diagnosis, and poor understanding of the relationship between exposure and disease. An estimated 200,000 miners and 1.7 million others have experienced an occupational exposure to silica.
No racial predilection is reported. The mortality rate among people of African descent exceeds that of whites.
