Handedness and longevity: archival study of cricketers.
OBJECTIVE
To test whether handedness is associated with a change in longevity.


METHODS
Archival survey.


METHODS
British Isles.


METHODS
All first class cricketers born before 1961 whose bowling hand was specified (right, n = 5041; left, n = 1132) in a comprehensive encyclopaedia.


METHODS
Bowling hand and life span.


RESULTS
Regression analysis of the 5960 players born between 1840 and 1960 (3387 dead, 2573 alive) showed no significant relation between mortality and handedness (P = 0.3). Left handedness was, however, associated with an increased likelihood of death from unnatural causes (P = 0.03, log hazard 0.37, 95% confidence interval 0.04 to 0.70). This effect was especially related to deaths during warfare (P = 0.009, log hazard 0.53, 0.13 to 0.92).


CONCLUSIONS
Left handedness is not, in general, associated with an increase in mortality.
Aggleton
J P
JP
Department of Psychology, University of Durham.
Bland
J M
JM
Kentridge
R W
RW
Neave
N J
NJ
D002423:Cause of Death; D007839:Functional Laterality; D008136:Longevity; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013177:Sports; D006113:United Kingdom