Longevity in Siberia depends on place and month of birth

Vladimir N. Melnikov, Siberian Independent Institute

By the analysis of variance of data derived from death certificates there is established an effect of place of birth on lifespan of people who died from cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, lung cancer, and stomach cancer in Novosibirsk city, South-western Siberia, in 1971–1978. West Russia-born decedents lived much longer than their sex- and cause-of-death-matched counterparts born in Siberia. For Siberian men, an association is found between season of birth and age at death from lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The results indicate that conditions of early life shorten the lifespan of Siberians in comparison to arrivals born in western Russia. It is concluded that imprinting could be responsible for the association observed.