One analytic approach that better captures smoking behavior is latent class growth analysis (LCGA), which seeks to identify population subgroups that follow distinct behavioral trajectories (Muthén & Muthén, 2000; Nagin, 1999). While prospective work using such analysis has defined trajectories of smoking behavior within adolescence and across early adulthood (Chassin, Presson, Pitts, & Sherman, 2000), trajectories across the lifespan have not been empirically characterized, nor has the association between smoking trajectories and disease been investigated. The present study aims to extend previous research in the following ways: (1) by following a cohort from the time of initiation of regular smoking patterns (i.e., age 21) into old age (i.e., age 82), when chronic illness is most likely to impact health and longevity; and (2) by evaluating the association between an individual’s tendency to follow a particular smoking trajectory and chronic diseases and mortality.
