TABLE 3—

Life Table–Based Estimates of Educational Inequalities in Smoking Initiation, Cessation, and Prevalence Among 3 Italian Birth Cohorts, by Gender

		Cumulative Probability of Starting Before Age 40 Yearsa			Cumulative Probability of Quitting Before Age 40 Yearsa			Years of Smoking Before Age 40 Yearsa
	Birth Cohort	Difference	Lower-Educated	Higher-Educated	Difference	Lower-Educated	Higher-Educated	Difference	Lower-Educated	Higher-Educated
Men	1940–1949	1.0	51.9	50.9	−4.3	16.3	20.6	0.8	14.7	13.9
	1950–1959	2.6	52.9	50.3	−8.0	24.5	32.5	1.7	14.7	13.0
	1960–1969	15.4	52.6	37.2	−6.5	29.6	36.0	5.1	14.2	9.1
Women	1940–1949	−6.9	28.3	35.2	−5.2	14.2	19.4	−3.7	4.4	8.2
	1950–1959	−8.0	29.7	37.8	−9.8	22.6	32.3	−1.9	7.0	9.0
	1960–1969	3.4	34.0	30.6	−10.5	31.7	42.2	1.4	8.4	6.9

^a These measures were based on previously calculated age-specific probabilities.