Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

[Mortality and birthdays]

J Bovet1, J Spagnoli, C Sudan

  • 1Département universitaire de psychiatrie d'adultes (DUPA), Lausanne.

Sozial- Und Praventivmedizin
|January 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary

Mortality peaks on birth anniversaries, especially for older adults, suggesting "anniversary reactions." This study analyzed over 12 million Swiss deaths, finding a 17% increase in mortality on birth dates.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Women's attractiveness is linked to expected age at menopause.

Journal of evolutionary biology·2017
Same author

Association between Adiposity and disability in the Lc65+ Cohort.

The journal of nutrition, health & aging·2017
Same author

Alcohol Use and Frailty in Community-Dwelling Older Persons Aged 65 to 70 Years.

The Journal of frailty & aging·2016
Same author

Efficacy of an ethanol-based hand sanitizer for disinfection of stethoscopes.

The Journal of hospital infection·2015
Same author

Homing in humans: A different look.

Behavioural processes·2014
Same author

[Filtering surgery in glaucoma: comparative study of three surgical approaches].

Journal francais d'ophtalmologie·2012

Area of Science:

  • Demography
  • Epidemiology
  • Psychology

Context:

  • Investigates the relationship between birth date and death date within the annual cycle.
  • Analyzes a large dataset of natural deaths in Switzerland spanning 24 years (1969-1992).
  • Examines mortality patterns across different age groups.

Purpose:

  • To determine if there is a statistically significant increase in mortality on an individual's birthday.
  • To explore potential psychological or physiological factors, such as
  • anniversary reactions
  • that might explain observed mortality patterns.
  • To assess age-related differences in birthday mortality effects.

Summary:

  • A significant increase in mortality (17% above expected) was observed on the actual anniversary of birth across the entire population studied.
  • This birthday mortality effect was more pronounced in individuals over 80 years of age and less pronounced in those under 80.
  • The study tentatively links this phenomenon to
  • anniversary reactions
  • potentially involving identity issues, though acknowledging limitations and lack of corroborating evidence.

Impact:

  • Highlights a potential, yet unconfirmed, link between psychological phenomena and mortality timing.
  • Suggests further research is needed to validate these findings and explore underlying mechanisms.
  • Raises questions about the influence of life events and psychological stress on biological aging and lifespan.

Related Experiment Videos