Table 4 Mediation of the associations between sex and BSI by behavioural risk factors, educational attainment, cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities.

From: Explaining sex differences in risk of bloodstream infections using mediation analysis in the population-based HUNT study in Norway

Mediation by behavioural risk factors1 and education

Risk of first-time BSI

HRs (95% CIa)b

Model 1

Total effect

1.40 (1.24–1.55)

Natural direct effect (NDE)

1.36 (1.18–1.57)

Natural indirect effect (NIE)

1.04 (0.97–1.07)

Proportion mediatedc

10%

Mediation by behavioural risk factors1, education, and cardiovascular risk factors2

HRs (95% CIa)b

Model 2

Total effect

1.40 (1.24–1.55)

Natural direct effect (NDE)

1.38 (1.19–1.58)

Natural indirect effect (NIE)

1.02 (0.92–1.07)

Proportion mediatedc

5%

Mediation by behavioural risk factors1, education, cardiovascular risk factors2 and comorbidity risk factors3

HRs (95% CIa)b

Model 3

Total effect

1.40 (1.24–1.55)

Natural direct effect (NDE)

1.25 (1.05–1.47)

Natural indirect effect (NIE)

1.12 (1.02–1.17)

Proportion mediatedc

34%

  1. BSI bloodstream infection, HRs hazard ratios, 95% CI 95% confidence intervals.
  2. 1Smoking, alcohol use and educational attainment at baseline.
  3. 2Systolic blood pressure, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and Body Mass Index.
  4. 3Cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, history of cancer, or chronic lung disease.
  5. aPercentile-based bootstrap CIs are reported.
  6. bEstimates are adjusted for age as a covariate.
  7. cProportion mediated: (ln HRNIE/ln HRTOTAL).
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