Table 1.

The GAZEL cohort: main socioeconomic, lifestyle and health-related characteristics at baseline

		Men		Women
		N	%	N	%
Birth year	1939–1943	6356	42.3	1379	24.6
	1944–1948	8654	57.7	2037	36.3
	1949–1953	---	---	2198	39.2
Gender	Men	15010	100.0
	Women			5614	100.0
SES at hiring	Executive	1412	9.4	231	4.1
	Middle	1329	8.9	357	6.4
	Non manual	3203	21.4	4961	88.5
	Manual	9052	60.4	55	1.0
SES at 35	Executive	2341	16.1	307	5.8
	Middle	8149	56.2	2763	52.6
	Non manual	920	6.3	2143	40.8
	Manual	3095	21.3	37	0.7
SES at baseline	Executive	4285	28.6	432	7.7
	Middle	8277	55.2	3510	62.6
	Non manual	633	4.2	1625	29.0
	Manual	1799	12.0	36	0.6
Tobacco at baseline	Smoker	4632	31.0	1200	24.6
	Non smoker	5087	34.1	3672	75.4
	Ex smoker	5204	34.9	654	11.8
Alcohol at baseline	Abstinent	293	2.0	258	4.6
	Occasional	7370	49.1	4205	74.9
	Light	2444	16.3	443	7.9
	Moderate	2754	18.3	441	7.9
	Heavy	1848	12.3	132	2.4
	Other	301	2.0	135	2.4
BMI at baselinea	Low	2709	19.1	1760	33.6
	Average	8034	56.6	2932	56.0
	High	3443	24.3	540	10.3
Self-rated health at baselineb	1–3	10433	70.1	3671	66.4
	4–5	3755	25.2	1582	28.6
	6–8	691	4.6	272	4.9
Self reported diseases at baselinec	0	3219	21.4	943	16.8
	1–2	7730	51.5	2556	45.5
	3–5	3662	24.4	1693	30.2
	6–10	399	2.7	422	7.5

^aLow: <20; Average: 20–25; High: >25

^bOn a 1–8 scale

^cAmong a predefined list