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. 2008 Dec;193(6):461-5.
doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.107.037424.

IQ in early adulthood and later risk of death by homicide: cohort study of 1 million men

G David Batty  1 , Ian J Deary, Anders Tengstrom, Finn Rasmussen
Affiliations

IQ in early adulthood and later risk of death by homicide: cohort study of 1 million men

G David Batty et al. Br J Psychiatry. 2008 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Risk factors for homicide are emerging; however, the predictive value of IQ, for which there is a strong prima facie case, has yet to be examined.

Aims: To examine the association between IQ and risk of death by homicide.

Method: A cohort of 968 846 men, aged 18-19 years, were administered an IQ test battery at military conscription and then followed for mortality experience over two decades.

Results: There were 191 deaths due to homicide during follow-up. In age-adjusted analyses, a high total IQ test score was associated with a reduced rate of homicide (hazard ratio (HR) per standard deviation increase in IQ score=0.49, 95% CI 0.42-0.57). A step-wise gradient was apparent across the three IQ groups (P-value for trend <0.001). After adjustment for indicators of socio-economic position and illness at conscription, this gradient was marginally attenuated (HR=0.57, 95% CI 0.49-0.67).

Conclusions: High IQ test scores in early adulthood were associated with a reduced risk of death by homicide.

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