Average latent class trajectories showing the mean estimated probability of smoking at each time point for the five distinct groups of smokers are shown in Figure 1. A small number of “lifetime users” (n=11; average posterior probability = 0.94) maintained tobacco use across their lifespan. “Late quitters” (n=48; average posterior probability = 0.71) smoked until a median age of 69. Tobacco use for “middle quitters” (n=69; average posterior probability = 0.85) declined steadily and they quit at a median age of 56. “Early quitters” (n=26; average posterior probability = 0.70) ceased daily smoking sooner than other groups (i.e. median age of 40). For “low users” (n=78; average posterior probability = 0.95), tobacco use remained minimal across measurements.
