title: Absence of seasonal pattern of birth in patients with anorexia nervosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An excess of spring births has been suggested in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), especially in the restricting subtype, but most of the research has been carried out inside the United Kingdom. The aim of this study was to assess whether there is a seasonal pattern of birth in a representative sample of patients with AN in a different latitude in the northern hemisphere.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the month of birth in a sample of 210 female patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of AN at first presentation to a specialized eating disorders service in Spain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no evidence of significant variation in month or season of birth in AN when compared to general population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is not enough evidence of a season of birth bias under the latitude of the United Kingdom in the risk of developing AN.
authors: Department of Psychology and Sociology, Zaragoza University, Teruel, Spain. vellisca@unizar.es
authors: María Y
authors: MY
authors: Vellisca
authors: José I
authors: JI
authors: Latorre
authors: Miguel A
authors: MA
authors: Santed
authors: José M
authors: JM
authors: Reales
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012621:Seasons; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology