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Published on: February 14, 2014
Forty years on: childhood intelligence predicts health in middle adulthood
Marius Wrulich1, Martin Brunner1, Gertraud Stadler2
1Centre for Educational Measurement and Applied Cognitive Science, University of Luxembourg.
Objective:
To investigate whether childhood general intelligence, fluid intelligence (Gf), and crystallized intelligence (Gc) predict various health outcomes in middle adulthood.
Method:
This prospective longitudinal study followed a nationally representative sample of 717 Luxembourgers. Intelligence and socioeconomic status (SES) were measured at age 12; physical, functional, and subjective health were assessed at age 52.
Results:
Childhood general intelligence and fluid intelligence showed substantial positive effects on adult health outcomes, whereas the corresponding effects of crystallized intelligence were considerably smaller.
Conclusion:
Childhood intelligence incrementally predicts various dimensions of adult health across 40 years-even in a country in which all citizens are guaranteed access to high-quality health care.
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