Table 3

Smoking initiation by birth cohort, age (in diagonals), study year, and educational level in men

Birth cohort		Smoking initiation by year (%)		Age (years)
Birth cohort		1972	1977	Age (years)		1982	1987	1992	1997
Less highly educated men
1913–1917	79	76
1918–1922	81	83	85
1923–1927	80	80	74	72
1928–1932	71	75	66	66	68
1933–1937	67	67	66	67	61	64
1938–1942	67	69	60	63	67	62	60–64
1943–1947	64	70	72	67	69	63	55–59
1948–1952		66	68	72	61	72	50–54
1953–1957			70	65	53	62	45–49
1958–1962				59	69	49	40–44
1963–1967					55	56	35–39
1968–1972						61	30–34
							25–29
Total	72	73	69	67	64	62
More highly educated men
1913–1917	78	73
1918–1922	79	84	77
1923–1927	71	74	72	69
1928–1932	67	66	78	61	61
1933–1937	56	66	70	56	53	58
1938–1942	62	65	59	62	69	63	60–64
1943–1947	66	62	58	63	59	59	55–59
1948–1952		67	57	62	60	65	50–54
1953–1957			59	54	51	62	45–49
1958–1962				40	47	48	40–44
1963–1967					37	36	35–39
1968–1972						46	30–34
							25–29
Total	68	69	64	58	55	56

Odds ratios and significance levels from logistic regression analyses: one-factor models: study year 0.88 (p<0.001); age group 1.11 (p<0.001); birth cohort 0.88 (p<0.001); education 0.77 (p<0.001). Multivariate model: study year 1.00 (p = 0.97); birth cohort 0.89 (p<0.001); education 0.84 (p = 0.008); interaction between study year and education 0.98 (0.31).
For an explanation of educational level, see text.