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Childhood IQ and life course socioeconomic position in relation to alcohol induced hangovers in adulthood: the Aberdeen children of the 1950s study.

Batty GD, Deary IJ, Macintyre S

MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, 4 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8RZ, UK. david-b@msoc.mrc.gla.ac.uk

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between scores on IQ tests in childhood and alcohol induced hangovers in middle aged men and women. Design, Setting, and PARTICIPANTS: 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. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 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.

Published 15 September 2006 in J Epidemiol Community Health, 60(10): 872-4.
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