University Research Finds That Women Who Had High IQs as Girls Are More Likely to Use Illegal Drugs

Researchers at the Cardiff University in Wales report that women who tested high on IQ tests as young girls are more likely to have used illegal drugs later in life than women who had lower IQs as young girls. The study tracked 8,000 people who were part of the 1970 British Cohort Study. The participants were given an IQ test at age 5 and again at age 10. Follow-up studies on lifestyle were conducted on the participants at age 16 and age 30. The studies found that women with high IQs were more than twice as likely to have used marijuana or cocaine than women who were assessed as having lower IQs when they were younger.

James White, lead author of the study and research fellow in the department of primary care and public health in the School of Medicine at Cardiff University, stated that “Most studies suggest that higher child or adolescent IQ prompts the adoption of a healthy lifestyle as an adult,” but he notes that “research has shown that people with high IQ are more open to new experiences and keen on novelty and stimulation.”

The article, published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, can be accessed here.