The contribution of diseases and background to the disability burden and the disability prevalence is presented in Tables 6 and and77 for men and women, respectively. Although disability is present in all age groups, the prevalence of mild and severe disability is low for the youngest individuals (15–54 years). The prevalence of mild disability was higher than severe disability for individuals aged 15–79 years. However, among the oldest old (≥80 years), different patterns were observed: no difference in the prevalence of mild and severe disability was observed among men, whilst in women the prevalence of severe disability reaches substantial levels (51 %), exceeding the prevalence of mild disability in this age group.