Joint GEEs for multivariate correlated data with incomplete binary outcomes


Inan G., YÜCEL R.

JOURNAL OF APPLIED STATISTICS, vol.44, no.11, pp.1920-1937, 2017 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 44 Issue: 11
  • Publication Date: 2017
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/02664763.2016.1238049
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF APPLIED STATISTICS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.1920-1937
  • Istanbul Technical University Affiliated: No

Abstract

This study considers a fully-parametric but uncongenial multiple imputation (MI) inference to jointly analyze incomplete binary response variables observed in a correlated data settings. Multiple imputation model is specified as a fully-parametric model based on a multivariate extension of mixed-effects models. Dichotomized imputed datasets are then analyzed using joint GEE models where covariates are associated with the marginal mean of responses with response-specific regression coefficients and a Kronecker product is accommodated for cluster-specific correlation structure for a given response variable and correlation structure between multiple response variables. The validity of the proposed MI-based JGEE (MI-JGEE) approach is assessed through a Monte Carlo simulation study under different scenarios. The simulation results, which are evaluated in terms of bias, mean-squared error, and coverage rate, show that MI-JGEE has promising inferential properties even when the underlying multiple imputation is misspecified. Finally, Adolescent Alcohol Prevention Trial data are used for illustration.