Month of birth is associated with mortality among older people in Japan: Findings from the JAGES cohort |
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Authors: | Yosuke Inoue Andrew Stickley Aki Yazawa Takeo Fujiwara Katsunori Kondo Naoki Kondo |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japaninoyo@humeco.m.u-tokyo.ac.jp;3. Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan;4. The Stockholm Center for Health and Social Change (Scohost), S?dert?rn University, Huddinge, Sweden;5. Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Setagaya-ku, Japan;6. Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan;7. Center for Well-being and Society, Nihon Fukushi University, Nagoya City, Aichi, Japan;8. Department of Health and Social Behavior, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan;9. Department of Health Education and Health Sociology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan |
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Abstract: | Month of birth (MOB) has been linked to a variety of health conditions in adulthood. This study examined the association between MOB and mortality among the healthy elderly in Japan, where a practice of traditional age reckoning was employed up until the late 1940s. The results showed male participants born in December were more likely to die earlier while those born in January had lower mortality. It is possible that social factors in early life, such as the time period when a birth is officially registered, may have implications for health that stretch across the life course. |
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Keywords: | Japan month of birth mortality season of birth |
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