Family-level intelligence and maternal health: A cross-cohort, cross-generational longitudinal study using the NLSY

This study examines the association between family-level intelligence metrics, and maternal health outcomes in middle age, as captured in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Building on past research documenting links between maternal intelligence and health, our study expands the inquiry by exploring how both variations and trends in family-level intelligence are associated with maternal middle-age health. We use multilevel modeling analysis to extract family intelligence levels and growth scores from children's Peabody Individual Achievement Test of math, reading recognition and reading comprehension. We use two time-points, ten years apart, to extract levels and growth scores from maternal middle-aged health data. We then use canonical correlation analysis to examine the associations between family intelligence and maternal health. Our results show a positive association between family cognition and maternal health. Families with greater math and reading recognition levels experience better levels of maternal health outcomes. Patterns also suggest that low levels in math and reading comprehension are related to larger declines in physical health. We discuss implications of intellectual development in the family, noting that higher family intelligence not only holds intrinsic value but also is associated with improved maternal health outcomes. We discuss a possible “Flynn effect transfer” within the family context, where intellectual advancement correlates with positive health trajectories in midlife mothers. Future research could extend these insights to explore further downstream effects on both maternal and child well-being. • Family intelligence is associated with maternal middle age health. • High math and reading recognition is linked to mental and physical maternal health. • Low math and reading comprehension is linked to declines in physical health. • Maternal intelligence does not confound the relationship. • Maternal intelligence earlier in life is related to maternal health later in life.