Determinants of inequalities in years with disability: an international-comparative study.

Background: Persons with a lower socioeconomic position spend more years with disability, despite their shorter life expectancy, but it is unknown what the important determinants are. This study aimed to quantify the contribution to educational inequalities in years with disability of eight risk factors: father's manual occupation, low income, few social contacts, smoking, high alcohol consumption, high body-weight, low physical exercise and low fruit and vegetable consumption.

Methods: We collected register-based mortality and survey-based disability and risk factor data from 15 European countries covering the period 2010-14 for most countries.