A lower IQ has been linked to greater and riskier drinking among young adult men

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-02/ace-ali021315.php

Public Release: 20-Feb-2015
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research

Although several studies have shown an association between intelligence and various health-related outcomes, the research on cognitive abilities and alcohol-related problems has been inconsistent. A new study of the association between IQ-test results and drinking, measured as both total intake and pattern of use, has found that a lower IQ is clearly associated with greater and riskier drinking among young adult men, although their poor performance on the IQ-test may also be linked to other disadvantages.

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"We found that lower results on IQ tests in Swedish adolescent men are associated with a higher consumption of alcohol, measured in both terms of total intake and binge drinking," said Sjölund. "It may be that a higher IQ results in healthier lifestyle choices. Suggested explanations for the association between IQ and different health outcomes, could be childhood conditions, which could influence both IQ and health, or that a socio-economic position as an adult mediates the association."

"By taking into account as little as four measured characteristics of the men, including their backgrounds," added Falkstedt, "the authors seem to be able to explain a large part of the association between IQ and heavy drinking. I think this may be a main message of this large cohort study: poor performance on IQ tests tend to go along with other disadvantages, for instance, poorer social background and emotional problems, which may explain the association with risky alcohol consumption. In reality, other differences of importance are likely to exist among the men, which could further explain the IQ-alcohol association."

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another important explanation of 'bad choices' among lower-IQ individuals may be feelings of inadequacy and frustration, I think. A number of studies have shown that a lower IQ in childhood or adolescence is associated with an increased risk of suicide over many years in adulthood."

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