Cognitive ability in early adulthood as a predictor of habitual drug use during later military service and civilian life: the Vietnam Experience Study

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 -