title: Month of birth is associated with mortality among older people in Japan: Findings from the JAGES cohort.
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.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Human Ecology , Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo , Bunkyo-ku , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: a Department of Human Ecology , Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo , Bunkyo-ku , Tokyo , Japan.|b The Stockholm Center for Health and Social Change (Scohost), Södertörn University , Huddinge , Sweden.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stickley
authors.affiliation: a Department of Human Ecology , Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo , Bunkyo-ku , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yazawa
authors.affiliation: c Department of Social Medicine , National Center for Child Health and Development , Setagaya-ku , Japan.
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: d Center for Preventive Medical Sciences , Chiba University , Chiba City , Chiba , Japan.|e Center for Well-being and Society , Nihon Fukushi University , Nagoya City , Aichi , Japan.
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: f Department of Health and Social Behavior , Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo , Bunkyo-ku , Tokyo , Japan.|g Department of Health Education and Health Sociology , Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo , Bunkyo-ku , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D036801:Parturition / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons
keywords: Japan; month of birth; mortality; season of birth