PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Sporting success does affect birth rates

Catalan births rose by 16 percent 9 months after FC Barcelona won 3 major trophies

2013-12-18
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Sporting success does affect birth rates Catalan births rose by 16 percent 9 months after FC Barcelona won 3 major trophies Births in a Catalan region of Spain increased by 16% nine months after FC Barcelona won three major football trophies in 2009, finds a study in the Christmas edition of The BMJ.

The findings confirm reports of a spike in the birth rate, although they fall far short of the 45% increase reported by some media at the time.

The researchers say their results suggest that "human emotions on a large scale can profoundly affect demographic swings in populations" and "could contribute to a better understanding of human behaviour, improve healthcare planning, and even aid government policy makers in stimulating or reducing birth rates."

On 6 May 2009, Andrés Iniesta scored a last minute goal against Chelsea FC, which put Football Club Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final. Nine months later, Catalonia's local radio station broadcast the results of an informal survey of five hospitals, showing a 45% increase in the number of births.

The children born during this boom were dubbed "the Iniesta generation."

Similar claims have been made in the past, but have since been disproved. For example, the New York Times reported a 30% increase in births at five Manhattan hospitals after the 1965 blackout.

A team of health and statistical researchers in Catalonia wondered if the Iniesta effect in Catalonia was real, and, if so, whether the exhilaration associated with football or other sporting events can truly have profound demographic repercussions.

So they analysed monthly birth data over five years (2007-2011) including 11,000 births at two maternity centres in the Catalan counties of Bages and Solsones, which have a combined population of about 190,000 and include the town of Santpedor – the birthplace of Josep Guardiola, FC Barcelona's coach from 2008 to 2012.

After adjusting for several factors, they found a significant (16%) increase in births in February 2010, nine months after FC Barcelona's exciting victories, and an 11% increase in March compared with other years.

This study confirms media reports of an increase in births nine months after FC Barcelona's extraordinary sporting successes in May 2009, say the authors. However, the results fall far short of the reported 45%. They also suggest that the term "Iniesta generation" is a misnomer.

The results also show a decline in births from the second half of 2010, which the authors suspect may be caused by the Spanish economic crisis and a decline in planned births.

"In summary, our results may have several different interpretations," say the authors. "One is that human emotions on a large scale can profoundly affect demographic swings in populations, that national or regional events can reduce the weight of reason and increase the weight of passion.

Validation of our results could contribute to a better understanding of human behaviour, improve healthcare planning, and even aid government policy makers in stimulating or reducing birth rates," they conclude. However, one should always be cautious in interpreting the results of an observational study.

"Ideally, to bridge the gap between observational and trial data, it would help greatly if Iniesta were willing to replicate his intervention - although the cost of such a study could be prohibitive, not to mention harmful to the reference group (Chelsea)," they add.

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

2013-12-18
An apple a day keeps the doctor away 150 year old proverb stands the test of time, say researchers Prescribing an apple a day to all adults aged 50 and over would prevent or delay around 8,500 vascular deaths such as heart attacks and strokes every year ...

Cells from the eye are inkjet printed for the first time

2013-12-18
Cells from the eye are inkjet printed for the first time A group of researchers from the UK have used inkjet printing technology to successfully print cells taken from the eye for the very first time. The breakthrough, which has been detailed in a paper published ...

Freezing semen doubles the chances of fatherhood for men after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma

2013-12-18
Freezing semen doubles the chances of fatherhood for men after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma Men with Hodgkin lymphoma who want to become fathers after their cancer treatment have greatly increased chances of doing so if they have frozen and stored ...

Sunlight adaptation region of Neanderthal genome found in up to 65 percent of modern East Asian population

2013-12-18
Sunlight adaptation region of Neanderthal genome found in up to 65 percent of modern East Asian population Recent highlights in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution With the Neanderthal genome now published, for the first ...

A roly-poly pika gathers much moss

2013-12-18
A roly-poly pika gathers much moss High-fiber salad bar may help lagomorphs survive climate change SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 18, 2013 – In some mountain ranges, Earth's warming climate is driving rabbit relatives known as pikas to higher elevations or wiping them out. But ...

Lower Rio Grande Basin study shows shortfall in future water supply

2013-12-18
Lower Rio Grande Basin study shows shortfall in future water supply Reclamation study finds shortfall of 678,522 acre-feet of water per year will be needed in basin in 2060 due to increased demand and climate change WASHINGTON - Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael ...

Performance-enhancing drug use more prevalent than Type 1 diabetes or HIV infection

2013-12-18
Performance-enhancing drug use more prevalent than Type 1 diabetes or HIV infection Endocrine Society unveils scientific statement on the health consequences of performance-enhancing drugs Chevy Chase, MD— A new Scientific Statement issued today by The Endocrine Society ...

MU researchers develop advanced 3-dimensional 'force microscope'

2013-12-18
MU researchers develop advanced 3-dimensional 'force microscope' Innovation could lead to faster drug therapies and increased understanding of proteins on the microscopic level COLUMBIA, Mo. – Membrane proteins are the "gatekeepers" that allow information ...

Bonobos stay young longer

2013-12-18
Bonobos stay young longer Contrary to humans and chimpanzees bonobos retain elevated thyroid hormones well into adulthood This news release is available in German. Despite the fact that chimpanzees and bonobos share similar starting conditions ...

Exposing the roots of the lithium battery problem

2013-12-18
Exposing the roots of the lithium battery problem Berkeley Lab researchers find dendrite problem starts below the surface The lithium-ion batteries that power our laptops, smartphones and electric vehicles could have significantly higher energy density ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

Mission accomplished for the “T2T” Hong Kong Bauhinia Genome Project

[Press-News.org] Sporting success does affect birth rates
Catalan births rose by 16 percent 9 months after FC Barcelona won 3 major trophies