Individuals with higher IQ scores during their teenage years are more likely to become moderate or heavy drinkers in adulthood. A recent study by researchers at the University of Texas says this. However, those with higher intelligence are more likely to drink regularly. They are less prone to binge drinking later in life.
The study was published in Alcohol and Alcoholism. It focused on data from 6,300 predominantly White men and women in Wisconsin. These individuals graduated from high school in 1957. In 2004, these participants were asked to report on their alcohol consumption. They detailed how many beverages they had consumed in the past month. They also shared the frequency of binge drinking episodes. A binge drinking episode was defined as consuming five or more drinks in one sitting.
The findings revealed that for every one-point increase in IQ score, there was a 1.6% increase in the likelihood of being a moderate or heavy drinker compared to being an abstainer. Interestingly, those with higher IQ scores were less likely to engage in binge drinking. This suggests a link between intelligence and more controlled drinking habits.
DEFINING MODERATE AND HEAVY DRINKING
The researchers defined moderate drinking differently for men and women. For women, moderate drinking meant having 1 to 29 alcoholic beverages per month. For men, moderate drinking was defined as 1 to 59 beverages per month. Anything beyond those limits was classified as heavy drinking.
The study did not find a connection between IQ and whether someone drank moderately or heavily. It found only that they were more likely to drink regularly. Moreover, binge drinking, which tends to carry more health risks, was less frequent among those with higher IQs.
SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
Psychiatrist Sherwood Brown and his team at the University of Texas studied the role of socioeconomic factors. They examined the relationship between IQ and drinking habits. They found that income partially mediated the connection. People with higher IQs tended to have higher incomes. Higher incomes, in turn, increased access to alcohol. Nonetheless, a person’s level of education did not affect the relationship between IQ and drinking frequency.
Jayme Palka, a neuroscientist involved in the study, noted, “Income partially explains the pathway between IQ and alcohol consumption. However, we still don’t fully understand all the mechanisms that influence this relationship.”
PREVIOUS RESEARCH ON IQ AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
The new findings align with prior studies. These studies have linked higher IQ scores to higher household incomes. By extension, this link includes more frequent alcohol consumption. An analysis of Norwegian men in 2020 found a similar relationship between intelligence and alcohol use. Binge drinking was a more prominent factor in that study.
But, this recent study of U.S. participants suggests that binge drinking is less common among individuals with higher IQs, particularly among women. In fact, binge drinking was overall less common among women than men, regardless of IQ score.
LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH
While the findings offer intriguing insights into the relationship between intelligence and alcohol use, the study had certain limitations. The cohort primarily consisted of White, non-Hispanic individuals. Most of these individuals had a bachelor’s degree. Hence, the results may not apply to other populations.
The researchers recommend further investigation into the relationship between alcohol use disorder and IQ. They suggest exploring other factors that mediate this relationship. For now, the study highlights a complex link between intelligence and drinking habits. It points to social and economic factors that influence alcohol consumption.