Phillips D P, Van Voorhees C A, Ruth T E
Sociology Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093.
Psychosom Med. 1992 Sep-Oct;54(5):532-42. doi: 10.1097/00006842-199209000-00001.
This study of deaths from natural causes examined adult mortality around the birthday for two samples, totalling 2,745,149 people. Women are more likely to die in the week following their birthdays than in any other week of the year. In addition, the frequency of female deaths dips below normal just before the birthday. The results do not seem to be due to seasonal fluctuations, misreporting on the death certificate, deferment of life-threatening surgery, or behavioral changes associated with the birthday. At present, the best available explanation of these findings is that females are able to prolong life briefly until they have reached a positive, symbolically meaningful occasion. Thus, the birthday seems to function as a 'lifeline' for some females. In contrast, male mortality peaks shortly before the birthday, suggesting that the birthday functions as a 'deadline' for males.
这项关于自然原因导致死亡的研究，对两个样本中总计2745149人的成人在生日前后的死亡率进行了调查。女性在生日后的一周内死亡的可能性比一年中的任何其他周都要高。此外，女性死亡频率在生日前会降至正常水平以下。这些结果似乎并非由季节性波动、死亡证明上的错误报告、危及生命的手术延期或与生日相关的行为变化所致。目前，对这些发现的最佳解释是，女性能够短暂延长生命，直到她们迎来一个积极的、具有象征意义的时刻。因此，生日似乎对一些女性起到了“生命线”的作用。相比之下，男性死亡率在生日前不久达到峰值，这表明生日对男性起到了“最后期限”的作用。
