Table 4

Age and multivariate adjusted odds (OR, 95% CI) and hazard ratios (HR, 95% CI) of multimorbidity, metabolic diseases, and mortality, including additional models adjusted for smoking status or BMI, by educational level among men and women aged 50 to 75 years in the EPIC-Heidelberg cohort


Men
Women
Educational level
High
Middle
Low
High
Middle
Low


OR

OR
95%-CI
OR
95%-CI

OR
95%-CI
OR
95%-CI

Multimorbidity: yes1











Age-adjusted

1
1.32
1.12–1.55
1.43
1.28–1.61
1
1.13
0.97–1.33
1.33
1.18–1.57
Smoking status -adjusted *

1
1.34
1.14–1.58
1.46
1.30–1.64
1
1.14
0.97–1.34
1.38
1.20–1.60
BMI- adjusted **

1
1.23
1.05–1.45
1.24
1.10–1.40
1
1.05
0.89–1.23
1.12
0.96–1.30
Fully adjusted #

1
1.21
1.02–1.43
1.28
1.12–1.46
1
1.06
0.89–1.25
1.16
0.99–1.36
Metabolic diseases: yes2











Age-adjusted

1
1.48
1.23–1.77
1.38
1.22–1.57
1
1.35
1.15–1.59
1.64
1.42–1.90
Smoking status -adjusted *

1
1.51
1.26–1.81
1.41
1.25–1.61
1
1.36
1.16–1.60
1.67
1.44–1.93
BMI- adjusted **

1
1.34
1.11–1.61
1.09
0.96–1.25
1
1.21
1.03–1.42
1.25
1.18–1.46
Fully adjusted #

1
1.37
1.13–1.66
1.15
1.00–1.33
1
1.24
1.04–1.47
1.33
1.13–1.56

HR

HR
95%-CI
HR
95%-CI

HR
95%-CI
HR
95%-CI
All-cause mortality: yes











Age-adjusted

1
1.38
1.02–1.85
1.90
1.54–2.34
1
1.04
0.67–1.61
1.30
0.89–1.90
Smoking status -adjusted *

1
1.26
0.94–1.69
1.69
1.37–2.09
1
1.05
0.68–1.62
1.33
0.92–1.95
BMI- adjusted **

1
1.36
1.01–1.83
1.82
1.46–2.25
1
0.99
0.64–1.54
1.23
0.83–1.81
Fully adjusted #

1
1.26
0.91–1.74
1.60
1.25–2.05
1
1.32
0.78–2.22
1.49
0.92–2.41

* adjusted for smoking status and age (continuous; years)

** adjusted for BMI (continuous; kg/m2), and age (continuous; years)

# adjusted for smoking status, BMI (continuous; kg/m2), fruit intake (continuous; g/day), vegetable intake (continuous; g/day), alcohol consumption (continuous; g/day), age (continuous; years), combined total physical activity index (inactive, moderately inactive, moderately active, active)

1Presence of two or more of the prevalent chronic conditions mentioned in table 1

2Presence of prevalent metabolic diseases, including hyperuricemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension or dyslipidemia

Nagel et al. BMC Public Health 2008 8:384   doi:10.1186/1471-2458-8-384