Childhood IQ and life course socioeconomic position in relation to alcohol induced hangovers in adulthood: the Aberdeen children of the 1950s study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between scores on IQ tests in childhood and alcohol induced hangovers in middle aged men and women.


METHODS
A cohort of 12 150 people born in Aberdeen (Scotland) who took part in a school based survey in 1962 when IQ test scores were extracted from educational records. Between 2000 and 2003, 7184 (64%) responded to questionnaire inquiries regarding drinking behaviour.


METHODS
Self reported hangovers attributable to alcohol consumption on two or more occasions per month.


RESULTS
Higher IQ scores at 11 years of age were associated with a lower prevalence of hangovers in middle age (OR(per one SD advantage in IQ score); 95% CI: 0.80; 0.72, 0.89). This relation was little affected by adjustment for childhood indicators of socioeconomic position (0.82; 0.74, 0.91) but was considerably attenuated after control for adult variables (fully adjusted model: 0.89; 0.79, 1.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Higher childhood IQ was related to a lower prevalence of alcohol induced hangovers in middle aged men and women. The IQ-hangover effect may at least partially explain the link between early life IQ and adult mortality. This being the first study to examine this relation, more evidence is required.
Batty
G David
GD
MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, 4 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8RZ, UK. david-b@msoc.mrc.gla.ac.uk
Deary
Ian J
IJ
Macintyre
Sally
S
D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D000431:Ethanol / Q000506:poisoning*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D000431:Ethanol