Table 3.

Percent of Educational Disparities Explained by Mediators

	Women (95% CI)			Men (95% CI)
	Most vs Least	Middle vs Least	Most vs Middle	Most vs Least	Middle vs Least	Most vs Middle
Younger than 65
Observed disparity*	4.8 (1.6–7.9)	3.5 (0.4–6.5)	1.3 (0.3–2.4)	3.0 (0.6–5.3)	1.7 (−0.7 to 4.0)	1.3 (0.5–2.2)

Percent explained
Smoking	23.1 (9.3–36.8)	20.5 (6.2–34.8)	29.8 (8.9–50.6)	29.5 (2.3–56.7)	34.5 (−2.0 to 70.9)	23.2 (−2.3 to 48.8)
Excess BMI	37.8 (18.3–57.2)	38.6 (13.6–63.5)	35.6 (14.4–56.9)	15.0 (2.0–28.0)	5.6 (−19.3 to 30.6)	26.7 (10.4–42.9)
Manual	4.0 (−19.5 to 27.5)	3.8 (−18.3 to 25.9)	4.5 (−22.8 to 31.8)	35.1 (5.9–64.3)	32.7 (1.3–64.0)	38.2 (4.8–71.6)
All	58.2 (33.3–83.0)	56.8 (29.9–83.8)	61.8 (25.2–98.4)	64.7 (36.0–93.4)	68.9 (26.7–91.0)	72.0 (37.6–106.4)

65 and older
Observed disparity (per 100 person-years)	6.1 (1.8–10.4)	3.7 (−0.4 to 7.7)	2.4 (−0.2 to 5.0)	1.5 (−2.0 to 5.1)	2.3 (−1.1 to 5.6)	−0.7 (−3.2 to 1.8)

Percent explained
Smoking	0.0 (−7.2 to 7.1)	−2.0 (−13.6 to 9.6)	3.0 (−8.1 to 14.2)	56.3 (−40.7 to 153.2)	20.5 (−2.6 to 43.5)	N/A
Excess BMI	29.9 (5.0–54.8)	30.1 (−6.5 to 66.8)	29.5 (1.5–57.6)	−17.3 (−81.2 to 46.6)	13.4 (−52.7 to 25.8)	N/A
Manual	10.2 (−14.1 to 34.4)	11.7 (−17.7 to 41.2)	7.8 (−11.3 to 26.9)	27.2 (−93.2 to 147.5)	11.2 (−33.5 to 55.9)	N/A
All	38.3 (8.3–68.3)	38.7 (−2.1 to 79.6)	37.7 (5.8–69.6)	60.4 (−58.0 to 178.7)	19.9 (−27.5 to 67.3)	N/A

Note: BMI = body mass index. “Least” education = less than high school degree; “middle” = high school degree; “most” = at least a college degree. * Per 100 person-years. N/A indicates that no mediator contribution was calculated because disability incidence was higher in the more compared to the less educated group.