Table 1.

Proportion of BMI’s effect on IVDD, sciatica, and LBP mediated by sedentary behavior.

Exposure	Mediator	outcomes	Total effect a	Effect X b	Effect M c	Mediation effect d	Mediated proportion
			Effect size (95% CI)	Effect size (95% CI)	Effect size (95% CI)	Effect size (95% CI)	(%)(95% CI)
BMI	Sedentary	IVDD	0.21 (0.14, 0.27)	0.20 (0.13, 0.27)	0.42 (0.26, 0.59)	0.09 (0.05, 0.13)	41.4% (21.8%, 64.8%)
BMI	Sedentary	Sciatica	0.28 (0.19, 0.38)	0.20 (0.13, 0.27)	0.47 (0.28, 0.67)	0.10 (0.05, 0.15)	33.8% (17.5%, 53.4%)
BMI	Sedentary	LBP	0.23 (0.15, 0.31)	0.20 (0.13, 0.27)	0.56 (0.40, 0.73)	0.11 (0.07, 0.17)	49.7% (29.4%, 73.5%)

BMI, body mass index; IVDD, intervertebral disc degeneration; LBP, low back pain.

^aTotal effect: the effect of exposures on outcomes.

^bEffect X: the effect of exposures on mediators.

^cEffect M: the effect of mediators on outcomes.

^dMediation effect: the effect of exposures on outcomes via mediators.