Key result
Higher educational attainment independently reduced the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 0.85), hospitalized COVID-19 (OR 0.79), and critical COVID-19 (OR 0.63), regardless of intelligence and income.
Why the study?
The protective effects of higher educational attainment and intelligence on COVID-19 outcomes, and their dependency on income, were not yet understood.
Does genetic liability to higher educational attainment, intelligence, and income reduce the risk and severity of COVID-19?
Observational (n=2,597,856)
Does genetic liability to higher educational attainment, intelligence, and income reduce the risk and severity of COVID-19?
Odds Ratio: 0.85 (95% CI 0.78–0.92)
p-value: p=1.44E-04
Higher educational attainment is independently associated with a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 outcomes, whereas intelligence and income do not independently reduce severity.
May aid COVID-19 risk stratification by educational attainment; leaves open causal mechanisms and intervention effects.
BACKGROUND: The protective effects of higher educational attainment (EA) and intelligence on COVID-19 outcomes are not yet understood with regard to their dependency on income. The objective of our study was to examine the overall as well as independent effects of the three psychosocial factors on the susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19. To accomplish this, we utilized genetic correlation, Mendelian randomization (MR), and multivariable MR (MVMR) analyses to evaluate genetic associations between EA, intelligence, household income, and three specific COVID-19 outcomes: SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalized COVID-19, and critical COVID-19. RESULTS: : -0.19‒-0.36). The MR analysis indicated that genetic liability to EA, intelligence, and income exerted overall protective effects against SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR: 0.86‒0.92), hospitalized COVID-19 (OR: 0.70‒0.80), and critical COVID-19 (OR: 0.65‒0.85). MVMR analysis revealed that elevated levels of EA conferred independent protective effects against SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR: 0.85), hospitalization due to COVID-19 (OR: 0.79), and critical COVID-19 (OR: 0.63). Furthermore, intelligence exhibited a negative association with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR: 0.91), whereas a higher income was linked to an elevated risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR: 1.13). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that EA could significantly reduce the risk and severity of COVID-19, regardless of intelligence and income. However, the impact of intelligence or income on COVID-19 severity was not supported by our research.
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Song et al. (2025) conducted an observational in COVID-19 (n=2,597,856). Higher educational attainment vs. Lower educational attainment was evaluated on SARS-CoV-2 infection (Multivariable Mendelian Randomization) (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.78-0.92, p=1.44E-04). Higher educational attainment independently reduced the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 0.85), hospitalized COVID-19 (OR 0.79), and critical COVID-19 (OR 0.63), regardless of intelligence and income.
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