Understanding the links between month of birth, body height, and longevity: why some studies reveal that shorter people live longer – further evidence of seasonal programming from the Polish population

Authors

  • Piotr Chmielewski Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Wrocław Medical University, Poland
  • Krzysztof Borysławski Department of Anthropology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1515/anre-2016-0028

Keywords:

month of birth effect, season of birth, body height, stature, lifespan, longevity

Abstract

There is a lack of agreement in the literature as to whether adult height depends on month of birth and whether height affects lifespan. Additionally, the relationship between stature and longevity involves conflicting findings and the results remain mixed due to several confounders, such as: year of birth, somatotype, relative body weight, genetic inheritance, diet, diseases, etc. Here, we hypothesize that the season of birth effect can also be involved in shaping the mysterious link between body height and longevity. To assess the links between month of birth, adult height, and longevity in the Polish population, data on 848,860 individuals, of whom 483,512 were men (57%) and 365,348 were women (43%), born in the years 1896-1988 and died in the years 2004-2008, were collected from the ‘PESEL’ database and signalments in the censuses obtained from identity card offices throughout Poland. ANOVA and the LSD test were performed. A significant relationship between month of birth and lifespan was found. Individuals born in autumn and winter months lived significantly longer than those who were born in the middle of the year (May). The amplitudes of lifespan were 16 months in men and 14 months in women. As expected, subjects of both sexes born in autumn and winter months were significantly shorter than their peers born around the middle of the year. In conclusion, the results of the study not only corroborate the theory of seasonal programming of longevity and support the idea that some undetermined factors from early stages of ontogeny and associated with season of birth have long-term effects on phenotype in later life in terms of adult height and longevity, but also bear out the hypothesis that month of birth can be another important confounding factor with respect to the relationship between adult height and longevity.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Almond D, Currie J. 2011. Killing me softly: The fetal origin hypothesis. J Econ Perspect 25(3):153-72.
View in Google Scholar

Barak Y, Ring A, Sulkes J, Gabbay U, Elizur A. 1995. Season of birth and autistic disorder in Israel. Am J Psychiatry 162:798-800.
View in Google Scholar

Banegas JR, Rodríguez-Artalejo F, Graciani A, de la Cruz JJ, Gutiérrez-Fisac JL. 2001. Month of birth and height of Spanish middle-aged men. Ann Hum Biol 28:15-20.
View in Google Scholar

Barker DJP. 1998. Mothers, babies, and disease in later life, 2nd ed. London: Churchill Livingstone.
View in Google Scholar

Barker DJP. 2006. Adult consequences of fetal growth restriction. Clin Obstet Gynecol 49(2):270-83.
View in Google Scholar

Bartke A. 2012. Healthy aging: is smaller better? Gerontology 58:337-43.
View in Google Scholar

Bateson P, Barker D, Clutton-Brock T, Deb D, D’Udine B, Foley RA, Gluckman P, Godfrey K, Kirkwood T, Lahr MM, McNamara J, Metcalfe NB, Monaghan P, Spencer HG, Sultan SE. 2004. Developmental plasticity and human health. Nature 430:419-21.
View in Google Scholar

Bianconi E, Piovesan A, Facchin F, Beraudi A, Casadei R, Frabetti F, Vitale L, Pelleri MC, Tassani S, Piva F, Perez-Amodio S, Strippoli P, Canaider S. 2013. An estimation of the number of cells in the human body. Ann Hum Biol 40:463-71.
View in Google Scholar

Bowring AL, Peeters A, Freak-Poli R, Lim MS, Gouillou M, Hellard M. 2012. Measuring the accuracy of self-reported height and weight in a community-based sample of young people. BMC Medical Research Methodology 12:175.
View in Google Scholar

Brener ND, McManus T, Galuska D, Clowry R, Wechsler H. 2003. Reliability and validity of self-reported height and weight among high school students. J Adolesc Health 32:281-87.
View in Google Scholar

Cagnacci A, Pansini FS, Bacchi-Modena A, Giulini N, Mollica G, De Aloysio D, Vadora E, Volpe A. 2005. Season of birth influences the timing of menopause. Human Reproduction 20:2190-3.
View in Google Scholar

Cairns BJ, Green J. 2013. Good news for “Alice”: height and sex differences in cancer risk. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 105:841-3.
View in Google Scholar

Chmielewski P. 2012. Pochodzenie rodziny u Homo sapiens. Kosmos 61(2):351-62.
View in Google Scholar

Chmielewski P. 2016. Teoria sezonowego programowania długowieczności. Kosmos 65(3):323-37.
View in Google Scholar

Chmielewski P, Borysławski K, Chmielowiec K, Chmielowiec J. 2015a. Height loss with advancing age in a hospitalized population of Polish men and women: magnitude, pattern and associations with mortality. Anthropol Rev 78(2):157-68.
View in Google Scholar

Chmielewski P, Borysławski K, Chmielowiec K, Chmielowiec J. 2015b. Longitudinal and cross-sectional changes with age in selected anthropometric and physiological traits in hospitalized adults: an insight from the Polish Longitudinal Study of Aging (PLSA). Anthropol Rev 78(3):317-36.
View in Google Scholar

Chmielewski P, Borysławski K. 2016. Proksymalne przyczyny starzenia się człowieka: przypadkowe uszkodzenia molekularne czy hiperfunkcja programów rozwojowych? Kosmos 65(3):339-49.
View in Google Scholar

Chmielewski PP, Borysławski K, Chmielowiec K, Chmielowiec J, Strzelec B. 2016a. The association between total leukocyte count and longevity: Evidence from longitudinal and cross-sectional data. Ann Anat 204:1-10.
View in Google Scholar

Chmielewski P, Borysławski K, Strzelec B. 2016b. Contemporary views on human aging and longevity. Anthropol Rev 79(2):115-42.
View in Google Scholar

Chotai J, Forsgren T, Nilsson LG, Adolfsson R. 2001. Season of birth variations in the temperament and character inventory of personality in a general population. Neuropsychobiology 44:19-26.
View in Google Scholar

Crews DE. 2003. Human senescence. Evolutionary and biocultural perspectives. New York: Cambridge University Press.
View in Google Scholar

Czech-Kowalska J, Dobrzańska A, Gruszfeld D, Żochowska A, Malinowska E, Gołkowska M, Karczmarewicz E. 2008. High prevalence of neonatal vitamin D deficiency – rationale for reevaluation of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy. Arch Perinatal Med 14:18-22.
View in Google Scholar

Danubio ME, Miranda G, Vinciguerra MG, Vecchi E, Rufo F. 2008. Comparison of self-reported and measured height and weight: Implications for obesity research among young adults. Econ Hum Biol 6(1):181-90.
View in Google Scholar

Doblhammer G, Vaupel JW. 2001. Lifespan depends on month of birth. PNAS 98:2934-2939.
View in Google Scholar

Döme P, Kapitány B, Ignits G, Rihmer Z. 2010. Season of birth is significantly associated with the risk of completed suicide. Biol Psychiatry 68:148-55.
View in Google Scholar

Engeland A, Bjørge T, Selmer RM, Tverdal A. 2003. Height and body mass index in relation to total mortality. Epidemiology 14:293-9.
View in Google Scholar

Friedman GD, Klatsky AL, Siegenlaub AB. 1974. The leukocyte count as a predictor of myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med 290(23):1275-8.
View in Google Scholar

Gavrilov LA, Gavrilova NS. 1999. Season of birth and human longevity. Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine 2:365-6.
View in Google Scholar

Gavrilova N, Gavrilov L, Semyonova V, Evdokushkina G. 2003. Early-life seasonal programming of human longevity. Gerontologist 43:582.
View in Google Scholar

Gunnell DJ, Okasha M, Davey Smith G, Oliver SE, Sandu J, Holly JMP. 2001. Height, leg length, and cancer risk: a systematic review. Epidemiologic Reviews 23:313-42.
View in Google Scholar

He Q, Morris BJ, Grove JS, Petrovitch H, Ross W, Masaki KH, Rodriguez B, Chen R, Donlon TA, Willcox DC, Willcox BJ. 2014. Shorter men live longer: association of height with longevity and FOXO3 genotype in American men of Japanese ancestry. PLoS One 9:e94385.
View in Google Scholar

Heidinger BJ, Blount JD, Boner W, Griffiths K, Metcalfe NB, Monaghan P. 2012. Telomere length in early life predicts lifespan. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 109(5):1743-8.
View in Google Scholar

Heijmans BT, Tobi EW, Stein AD, Putter H, Blauw GJ, Susser ES, Slagboom PE, Lumey LH. 2008. Persistent epigenetic differences associated with prenatal exposure to famine in humans. PNAS 105:17046-9.
View in Google Scholar

Herbert PR, Rich-Edwards JW, Manson JE. 1993. Height and incidence of cardiovascular disease in male physicians. Circulation 88:1437-43.
View in Google Scholar

Holl RW, Schröder H, Heinze E. 1991. Are short boys disadvantaged as adults? A re-evaluation of 77 men with constitutional growth delay and (or) familial short stature. Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift 116:928-34.
View in Google Scholar

Huber S, Fiede M, Wallner B, Moser G, Arnold W. 2004. Birth month influences reproductive performance in contemporary women. Human Reproduction 19:1081-2.
View in Google Scholar

Huntington E. 1938. Season of birth: its relation to human abilities. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
View in Google Scholar

Kabat GC, Anderson ML, Heo M, Hosgood HD 3rd, Kamensky V, Bea JW, Hou L, Lane DS, Wactawski-Wende J, Manson JE, Rohan TE. 2013. Adult stature and risk of cancer at different anatomic sites in a cohort of postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 22:1353-63.
View in Google Scholar

Kapitány B, Döme P, Döme B, Rihmer Z. 2011. Associations between season of birth and the risk of lung cancer: epidemiological findings from Hungary. Chronobiology International 28:643-50.
View in Google Scholar

Kemkes-Grottenthaler A. 2005. The short die young: the interrelationship between stature and longevity – evidence from skeletal remains. Am J Phys Anthropol 128:340-7.
View in Google Scholar

Kihlbom M, Johansson SE. 2004. Month of birth, socioeconomic background and development in Swedish men. J Biosoc Sci 36:561-71.
View in Google Scholar

Kościński K, Krenz-Niedbała M, Puch EA, Kozłowska-Rajewicz A. 2009. Wielkość ciała a sezon urodzenia. Poznańskie ośmiolatki 2007. Poznań: Monografie Instytutu Antropologii Wydawnictwo UAM.
View in Google Scholar

Krul AJ, Daanen HA, Choi H. 2010. Self-reported and measured weight, height and body mass index (BMI) in Italy, the Netherlands and North America. Eur J Public Health 21:414-9.
View in Google Scholar

Lawlor DA, Taylor M, Davey-Smith G, Gunnell D, Ebrahim S. 2004. Associations of components of adult height with coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women: the British women’s heart and health study. Heart 90:745-9.
View in Google Scholar

Leng SX, Xue QL, Huang Y, Ferrucci L, Fried LP, Walston JD. 2005a. Baseline total and specific differential white blood cell counts and 5-year all-cause mortality in community-dwelling older women. Exp Gerontol 40(12):982-7.
View in Google Scholar

Leng SX, Xue QL, Huang Y, Semba R, Chaves P, Bandeen-Roche K, Fried L, Walston J. 2005b. Total and differential white blood cell counts and their associations with circulating interleukin-6 levels in community-dwelling older women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med 60(2):195-9.
View in Google Scholar

Lerchl A. 2004. Month of birth and life expectancy: role of gender and age in a comparative approach. Naturwissenschaften 91:422-5.
View in Google Scholar

Lucas A. 1998. Programming by early nutrition: an experimental approach. Journal of Nutrition 128:401-6.
View in Google Scholar

Lummaa V. 2003. Early developmental conditions and reproductive success in humans: downstream effects of prenatal famine, birthweight and timing of birth. Am J Hum Biol 15:370-9.
View in Google Scholar

Miura T, Shimura M. 1980. Longevity and season of birth. Japanese Journal of Biometeorology 17:27-31.
View in Google Scholar

Moore SE, Cole TJ, Poskitt EM, Sonko BJ, Whitehead RG, McGregor IA, Prentice AM. 1997. Season of birth predicts mortality in rural Gambia. Nature 388:434.
View in Google Scholar

Mueller U, Mazur A. 2001. Evidence of unconstrained directional selection for male tallness. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 50:302-11.
View in Google Scholar

Özaltin E. 2012. Commentary: The long and short of why taller people are healthier and live longer. Int J Epidemiol 41:1434-5.
View in Google Scholar

Paajanen TA, Oksala NKJ, Kuukasjärvi P, Karhunen PJ. 2010. Short stature is associated with coronary heart disease: a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis. Eur Heart J 31:1802-9.
View in Google Scholar

Percik R, Stumvoll M. 2009. Obesity and cancer. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 117:563-6.
View in Google Scholar

Perkins JM, Subramanian SV, Davey Smith G, Özaltin E. 2016. Adult height, nutrition, and population health. Nutr Rev 74:149-65.
View in Google Scholar

Salaris L, Poulain M, Samaras TT. 2012. Height and survival at older ages among men born in an inland village in Sardinia (Italy), 1866-2006. Biodemography and Social Biology 58:1-13.
View in Google Scholar

Salib E, Cortina-Borja M. 2006. Effect of month of birth on the risk of suicide. Brit J Psychiatry 188:416-22.
View in Google Scholar

Samaras TT. 2007. Human body size and the laws of scaling: physiological, performance, growth, longevity and ecological ramifications. New York: Nova Science Publishers.
View in Google Scholar

Samaras TT. 2013. Shorter height is related to lower cardiovascular disease risk – a narrative review. Indian Heart J 65(1):66-71.
View in Google Scholar

Samaras TT. 2014. Evidence from eight different types of studies showing that smaller body size is related to greater longevity. Journal of Scientific Research & Reports 3:2150-60.
View in Google Scholar

Sherry B, Jefferds ME, Grummer-Strawn L. M. 2007. Accuracy of adolescent self-report of height and weight in assessing overweight status. A literature review. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 161:1154-61.
View in Google Scholar

Silventoinen K, Lahelma E, Rahkonen O. 1999. Social background, adult body height and health. Int J Epidemiol 28:911-8.
View in Google Scholar

Song YM, Sung J. 2008. Adult height and the risk of mortality in South Korean women. Am J Epidemiol 168:497-505.
View in Google Scholar

Stevens MC, Fein DH, Waterhouse LH. 2000. Season of birth effects in autism. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 22:399-407.
View in Google Scholar

Stindl R. 2004. Tying it all together: telomeres, sexual size dimorphism and the gender gap in life expectancy. Med Hypotheses 62:151-4.
View in Google Scholar

Stini WA. 1969. Nutritional stress and growth: sex difference in adaptive response. Am J Phys Anthropol 31:417-26.
View in Google Scholar

Stinson S. 1985. Sex, differences in environmental sensitivity during growth and development. Yearb Phys Anthropol 28:123-47.
View in Google Scholar

Stöger R. 2008. The thrifty epigenotype: an acquired and heritable predisposition for obesity and diabetes? BioEssays 30(2):156-66.
View in Google Scholar

Taylor SE. 2010. Mechanisms linking early life stress to adult health outcomes. PNAS 107:8507-12.
View in Google Scholar

Torrey EF, Miller J, Rawlings R, Yolken RH. 1997. Seasonality of births in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: a review of the literature. Schizophr Res 28:1-38.
View in Google Scholar

Ueda P, Edstedt Bonamy AK, Granath F, Cnattingius S. 2013. Month of birth and mortality in Sweden: a nation-wide population-based cohort study. PLoS One 8(2):e56425.
View in Google Scholar

Ulijaszek SJ, Strickland SS, eds. 1993. Seasonality and human ecology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
View in Google Scholar

Vaiserman AM. 2014. Early-life nutritional programming of longevity. J Dev Orig Health Dis 5(5):325-38.
View in Google Scholar

Vaiserman AM. 2015. Epigenetic programming by early-life stress: Evidence from human populations. Dev Dyn 244(3):254-65.
View in Google Scholar

Vaiserman AM, Collinson AC, Koshel NM, Belaja II, Voitenko VP. 2002. Seasonal programming of adult longevity in Ukraine. Int J Biometeorol 47:49-52.
View in Google Scholar

Verdoux H, Takei N, Cassou de Saint-Mathurin R, Murray RM, Bourgeois ML. 1997. Seasonality of birth in schizophrenia: the effect of regional population density. Schizophr Res 23:175-80.
View in Google Scholar

Vézina H, Houde L, Charbonneau H, Beaudry M, Cholette A, Daoud N, Mathieu J, Robitaille Y, Veilleux F, Gauvreau D. 1996. Season of birth and Alzheimer’s disease: a population-based study in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean/Québec (IMAGE Project). Psychological Medicine 26:143-9.
View in Google Scholar

Waaler HT. 1984. Height, weight and mortality: The Norwegian experience. Acta Medica Scandinavica Supplement 679:1-56.
View in Google Scholar

Weber GW, Prossinger H, Seidler H. 1998. Height depends on month of birth. Nature 391:754-5.
View in Google Scholar

Wells JCK. 2011. The thrifty phenotype: an adaptation in growth or metabolism? Am J Hum Biol 23:65-75.
View in Google Scholar

Yuen J, Ekbom A, Trichopoulos D, Hsieh CC, Adami HO. 1994. Season of birth and breast cancer risk in Sweden. Brit J Cancer 70:564-8.
View in Google Scholar

Zabuga OG, Akhaladze NG, Vaiserman AM. 2014. Nutritional programming: Theoretical concepts and experimental evidence. Advances in Gerontology 4(1):3-11.
View in Google Scholar

Zahavi A. 1975. Mate selection-a selection for a handicap. J Theor Biol 53:205-14.
View in Google Scholar

Downloads

Published

2016-12-30

How to Cite

Chmielewski, P., & Borysławski, K. (2016). Understanding the links between month of birth, body height, and longevity: why some studies reveal that shorter people live longer – further evidence of seasonal programming from the Polish population. Anthropological Review, 79(4), 375–395. https://doi.org/10.1515/anre-2016-0028

Issue

Section

Articles

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >> 

Similar Articles

<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.