Relationship between the Recent Average Life Span and Food and Tobacco in Japan

Abstract

In order to investigate the factor relating to the recent average life span (e₀) in Japan, relationships between e₀ and 21 items concerning food and tobacco were studied by annual transition and geographical distribution of items, and the following results were obtained. 1) In the time serial correlation coefficients between e₀ (1965-'85) and 5-years foregone items (1960-'80), those with 13 items including milk were positive and significant, and those with 5 items were negative and significant. 2) In the geographical correlation coefficients between e₀ (1985) and 6-years foregone items (1979), those with 3 items for men and 4 for women including milk were positive and significant, and those with 1 item were negative and significant for both sexes. 3) In the geographical correlation coefficients between changes of e₀ (1985/'70) and those of 6-years foregone items (1979/'64), those with 11 items for men and 9 for women including milk were positive and significant, and those with 2 items for men and 1 for women were negative and significant. 4) The partial correlation coefficients were calculated between changes of e₀ (1985/'70) and those of 6-years foregone items (1979/'64) whose coefficients were significant and agreed with each other in sign in the above 1) and 3) calculations. The coefficients with milk and coffee for men and milk for women were positive and significant. Above results suggest that milk intake relate to the recent average live span in Japan.