Talk:Birthday effect

A fact from Birthday effect appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 2 May 2016 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that you are more likely to die on or near your birthday than at other times?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2016/May. The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Birthday effect.

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Dying in USA aged 20-29

"Among 25 million Americans who died between 1998 and 2011, 6.7% more people than expected die on their birthday, and the effect was most pronounced at weekends and among the young – among 20 to 29 year olds, the excess was over 25%."

It strikes me by idle speculation - and I'm sure someone will tell me off for do so on Wikipedia - that the reason for the above could be explanable. 20-29 yo are the most likely to go out celebrating their birthday enthusiatically, particularly on a weekend nearest, rather than in the mid (working) week, and that alcohol (and drugs) might be consumed more than normally. This may lead to higher risk of death due to a) the alcohol itself (eg alcohol poisoning); b) the depressive effect alcohol has on some (increasing suicide risk); & c) accidents cause by alcohol (eg stepping in front of traffic, falling over, increased risk taking, drunk driving, etc.). The Yeti (talk) 03:24, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@The Yeti: I thought about that too. The first time I looked, I couldn't find many sources, but a bit more digging has actually found a couple (sadly but unsurprisingly, there is a huge spike in mortality rates among American teenagers from alcohol-related causes on their 21st birthday). Smurrayinchester 14:38, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I'm scared

It's my birthday :( Efantasion (talk) 03:55, 17 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

"Expected value"

Four times in the second paragraph of the Studies section, there's mention of the phenomenon occurring X% "more than expected". Using this phrasing without mentioning said expected value feels hollow if not completely useless, especially because the wording also appears (to me at least) to suggest that the expected value varies depending on the study and the demographic studied. Schiffy (Speak to me|What I've done) 19:05, 29 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]