IQ In Childhood And Vegetarianism In Adulthood
This research found that children with higher intelligence, as measured through intelligence quotient (IQ) tests, are more likely to report being vegetarian as adults. Evidence of the potential benefits of a vegetarian diet to the heart may also explain why higher IQ children or adolescents have a reduced risk of coronary disease in adult life.
Of the 30-year-old adults whose IQ was tested at 10 years of age, 4.5% said they were vegetarian as adults. Of these, 2.5% were vegan and 33.6% stated they were vegetarian, but reported eating fish or chicken.
Vegetarians were more likely to be female, to be of higher occupational social class, and to have higher academic or vocational qualifications than non-vegetarians.
Higher IQ at age 10 was correlated to increased likelihood of being vegetarian at the age of 30, partly accounted for by better education and higher occupational social status, although the correlation remained statistically significant even after adjusting for these factors.