A new study supports the theory that men are idiots.

It is already known that males are more likely to be admitted to Emergency Departments (ED) as a result of accidental injuries and sporting injuries, and are more likely to be involved in fatal road accidents.

However little is known about the differences between males and females when it comes to idiotic risk taking behaviour, so UK researchers decided to test the ‘male idiot theory' (MIT) that men are idiots who often do stupid things.

They analysed data relating to the winners of the Darwin Award over the 20-year period, 1995 to 2014. To qualify for this award, a person ‘ must improve the gene pool by eliminating themselves from the human race using astonishingly stupid methods'. In other words, the way in which the person dies is considered particularly stupid.

Candidates include a terrorist who posted a letter bomb, but did not use enough stamps. When it was returned to him, he opened it, detonating the bomb he had made.

The researchers looked at the cases of 318 nominees, which had been independently verified and confirmed by the Darwin Awards Committee.

Of these awards, just 36 were given to women, with the remaining 282 being given to men. Therefore men represented almost 89% of nominees and this sex difference is highly statistically significant, according to the researchers from Newcastle University.

They believe that the findings are consistent with the theory that men are idiots who do stupid things.

They said that it is unclear why men are willing to take such big risks, just for ‘bragging rights' or as a rite of passage.

"With the festive season upon us, we intend to follow up with observational field studies and an experimental study - males and females, with and without alcohol - in a semi-naturalistic Christmas party setting," they added.

Details of these findings are published in the Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal.