Gwinyai Masukume, Amy L. Non, Peyton Cleaver, Victor Grech
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives
The sex ratio at birth (SRB), calculated as male divided by total live births, is an important indicator of population health. Typically, male live births slightly outnumber female live births. Population events, including pandemics, can alter the SRB, with effects sometimes evident 9 months post-event, potentially due to changes in sexual behavior and/or stress levels. This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the SRB in the Republic of Ireland.
Methods
Publicly available monthly live birth data for Ireland were obtained from the Central Statistics Office for the period 2015 to 2021. Time series analysis predicted the SRB for 2020 using data from 2015 to 2019, with comparisons made between observed and predicted values.
Results
In December 2020, 9 months after the March 2020 COVID-19 declaration, the observed SRB sharply fell to 49.44% (97.80 males for every 100 females), below the 95% prediction interval of 50.31% to 52.15%, significantly deviating from the expected male predominance. December 2020 also recorded the lowest average daily number of births (n = 145) in the study period.
Conclusion
The sharp decline in the SRB in December 2020, alongside the lowest birth count, suggests reduced sexual intercourse at the population level, particularly in March 2020, aligning with recommendations from Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE). The HSE advocated precautionary measures such as limiting partnered sex in March 2020 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These findings highlight the pandemic's potential impact on population dynamics and stress the importance of SRB monitoring as a low-cost and readily available health indicator, especially during national crises.
期刊介绍:
The American Journal of Human Biology is the Official Journal of the Human Biology Association.
The American Journal of Human Biology is a bimonthly, peer-reviewed, internationally circulated journal that publishes reports of original research, theoretical articles and timely reviews, and brief communications in the interdisciplinary field of human biology. As the official journal of the Human Biology Association, the Journal also publishes abstracts of research presented at its annual scientific meeting and book reviews relevant to the field.
The Journal seeks scholarly manuscripts that address all aspects of human biology, health, and disease, particularly those that stress comparative, developmental, ecological, or evolutionary perspectives. The transdisciplinary areas covered in the Journal include, but are not limited to, epidemiology, genetic variation, population biology and demography, physiology, anatomy, nutrition, growth and aging, physical performance, physical activity and fitness, ecology, and evolution, along with their interactions. The Journal publishes basic, applied, and methodologically oriented research from all areas, including measurement, analytical techniques and strategies, and computer applications in human biology.
Like many other biologically oriented disciplines, the field of human biology has undergone considerable growth and diversification in recent years, and the expansion of the aims and scope of the Journal is a reflection of this growth and membership diversification.
The Journal is committed to prompt review, and priority publication is given to manuscripts with novel or timely findings, and to manuscripts of unusual interest.