TABLE 2—

Characteristics of Smokers at Baseline, by Educational Background: Minnesota HealthPartners Enrollees, 2004–2005

	Education Group, %
Health-related variables	High School or Less (n = 242)	2-Year Collegea (n = 280)	4-Year Collegeb (n = 334)
Self-reported overall health very good or excellent**	37.2	56.6	57.7
Had a history of depression diagnosis	35.0	31.2	28.3
Smoking-related variables
Smokes every day**	76.9	64.3	47.0
No. of cigarettes smoked per day**
0–10	58.4	66.9	81.7
11–20	28.2	28.4	15.6
≥ 20	13.5	4.7	2.7
Smokes within 5 min of waking**	11.6	6.1	3.6
1 or more close friends smoke	99.2	99.3	99.1
1 or more quit attempts in past year	56.5	62.6	55.8
Seriously considering quitting in next 6 moc	66.8	60.4	58.9

^aThe 2-year college group included those respondents who had completed at least some post–high school technical education but were not currently enrolled in any school and those that were enrolled in a 2-year college.

^bThe 4-year college group included those respondents who had were enrolled in a 4-year college or university and those who had a college degree and were not currently enrolled in any school.

^cAfter removal from analyses of those who had already quit.

** P < .001 (Pearson χ² comparisons across columns).