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From the Public Health and Health Policy, Division of Community Based Sciences, University of Glasgow (C.L.H., D.J.H.), Glasgow, Scotland; Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh (M.D.T., I.J.D), Edinburgh, Scotland; Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol (G.D.S.), Bristol; Department of Mental Health, University of Aberdeen, Clinical Research Centre, Royal Cornhill Hospital (L.J.W), Aberdeen, Scotland; Royal Victoria Hospital (J.M.S.), Edinburgh, Scotland; and Scottish Council for Research in Education, University of Glasgow (V.W.), Edinburgh, Scotland.
For the Midspan studies, address reprint requests to: Carole Hart, MA, PhD, Public Health and Health Policy, Division of Community Based Sciences, University of Glasgow, 1, Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8RZ. E-mail c.l.hart{at}udcf.gla.ac.uk For the Scottish Mental Survey 1932, address reprint requests to: Ian J. Deary, PhD, FRCPE, Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 7, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ. E-mail i.deary@ed.ac.uk
OBJECTIVE: To investigate how childhood mental ability (IQ) is related to mortality and morbidity risk, when socioeconomic factors are also considered.
METHODS: Participants were from the Midspan studies conducted on adults in the 1970s; 938 Midspan participants were successfully matched with the Scottish Mental Survey 1932 in which children born in 1921 and attending Scottish schools on June 1, 1932, took a cognitive ability test.
Mortality, hospital admissions, and cancer incidence in the 25 years after the Midspan screening were investigated in relation to childhood IQ, social class, and deprivation.
RESULTS: The risk of dying in 25 years was 17% higher for each standard deviation disadvantage in childhood IQ. Adjustment for social class and deprivation category accounted for some, but not all, of this higher risk, reducing it to 12%. Analysis by IQ quartile showed a substantial increased risk of death for the lowest-scoring quarter only. Structural equation modeling indicated that the effect of childhood IQ on mortality was partly indirectly influenced by social factors. Cause-specific mortality or hospital admission showed that lower IQ was associated with higher risks for all cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease. Cause-specific mortality or cancer incidence risk was higher with decreasing IQ for lung cancer.
CONCLUSIONS: Lower childhood IQ was related to higher mortality risk and some specific causes of death or morbidity. Childhood IQ may be considered as a marker for risk of death or illness in later life in similar and complementary ways to social class or deprivation category.
Key Words: cohort, • deprivation, • mental ability, • mortality, • Scotland, • social class.
Abbreviations: CHD = coronary heart disease; CVD = cardiovascular disease; SCRE = Scottish Council for Research in Education; SMS1932 = Scottish Mental Survey 1932
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