TY - JOUR
T1 - Cognitive ability in early adulthood as a predictor of habitual drug use during later military service and civilian life
T2 - the Vietnam Experience Study
AU - White, James
AU - Mortensen, Laust Hvas
AU - Batty, G David
N1 - Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
PY - 2012/9/1
Y1 - 2012/9/1
N2 - Background: Recent reports have linked cognitive ability (IQ) with alcohol dependency, but the relationship with illegal drug use is not well understood. Methods: Participants were 14,362 male US Vietnam veterans with IQ test results at entry into military service in 1965-1971 (mean age 22.58) who participated in a telephone interview in 1985-1986. A structured diagnostic telephone interview was used to ascertain habitual drug use during military service (for once a week, ≥3 months) and in civilian life (in the past 12 months, ≥once a week), combat exposure, and post-traumatic stress disorder according to established Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders criteria (version III). Results: In unadjusted analysis, men with high IQ scores were less likely to be habitual users of cannabis (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.86, 0.93), cocaine (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.61, 0.78), heroin (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.73, 0.88), amphetamines (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.83, 0.98), barbiturates (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.72, 0.86) and LSD (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.82, 0.99) during military service and civilian life. These associations were markedly attenuated after adjustment for socioeconomic status in early and later civilian life. Conclusion: In this cohort, socioeconomic position might lie on the pathway linking earlier IQ and later habitual drug use but might also act as a surrogate for IQ. This suggests interventions to prevent drug use could attempt to improve early life IQ and opportunities for employment.
AB - Background: Recent reports have linked cognitive ability (IQ) with alcohol dependency, but the relationship with illegal drug use is not well understood. Methods: Participants were 14,362 male US Vietnam veterans with IQ test results at entry into military service in 1965-1971 (mean age 22.58) who participated in a telephone interview in 1985-1986. A structured diagnostic telephone interview was used to ascertain habitual drug use during military service (for once a week, ≥3 months) and in civilian life (in the past 12 months, ≥once a week), combat exposure, and post-traumatic stress disorder according to established Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders criteria (version III). Results: In unadjusted analysis, men with high IQ scores were less likely to be habitual users of cannabis (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.86, 0.93), cocaine (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.61, 0.78), heroin (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.73, 0.88), amphetamines (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.83, 0.98), barbiturates (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.72, 0.86) and LSD (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.82, 0.99) during military service and civilian life. These associations were markedly attenuated after adjustment for socioeconomic status in early and later civilian life. Conclusion: In this cohort, socioeconomic position might lie on the pathway linking earlier IQ and later habitual drug use but might also act as a surrogate for IQ. This suggests interventions to prevent drug use could attempt to improve early life IQ and opportunities for employment.
KW - Adult
KW - Amphetamine-Related Disorders
KW - Barbiturates
KW - Cognition
KW - Ethnic Groups
KW - Health Surveys
KW - Heroin Dependence
KW - Humans
KW - Income
KW - Intelligence Tests
KW - Male
KW - Marijuana Abuse
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Military Personnel
KW - Odds Ratio
KW - Predictive Value of Tests
KW - Risk Factors
KW - Socioeconomic Factors
KW - Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
KW - Substance-Related Disorders
KW - Veterans
KW - Vietnam Conflict
U2 - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.03.024
DO - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.03.024
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 22520690
SN - 0376-8716
VL - 125
SP - 164
EP - 168
JO - Drug and Alcohol Dependence
JF - Drug and Alcohol Dependence
IS - 1-2
ER -