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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Examining The Performance Of The Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro Algorithm In The Estimation Of Multilevel Multidimensional Irt Models, Bozhidar M. Bashkov May 2015

Examining The Performance Of The Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro Algorithm In The Estimation Of Multilevel Multidimensional Irt Models, Bozhidar M. Bashkov

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The purpose of this study was to review the challenges that exist in the estimation of complex (multidimensional) models applied to complex (multilevel) data and to examine the performance of the recently developed Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro (MH-RM) algorithm (Cai, 2010a, 2010b), designed to overcome these challenges and implemented in both commercial and open-source software programs. Unlike other methods, which either rely on high-dimensional numerical integration or approximation of the entire multidimensional response surface, MH-RM makes use of Fisher’s Identity to employ stochastic imputation (i.e., data augmentation) via the Metropolis-Hastings sampler and then apply the stochastic approximation method of Robbins and Monro …


Spatiotemporal Variation In Diabetes Mortality In China: Multilevel Evidence From 2006 And 2012, Maigeng Zhou, Thomas Astell-Burt, Peng Yin, Xiaoqi Feng, Andrew Page, Yunning Liu, Jiangmei Liu, Yichong Li, Shiwei Liu, Limin Wang, Lijun Wang, Linhong Wang Jan 2015

Spatiotemporal Variation In Diabetes Mortality In China: Multilevel Evidence From 2006 And 2012, Maigeng Zhou, Thomas Astell-Burt, Peng Yin, Xiaoqi Feng, Andrew Page, Yunning Liu, Jiangmei Liu, Yichong Li, Shiwei Liu, Limin Wang, Lijun Wang, Linhong Wang

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Despite previous studies reporting spatial in equality in diabetes prevalence across China, potential geographic variations in diabetes mortality have not been explored. Methods: Age and gender stratified annual diabetes mortality counts for 161 counties were extracted from the China Mortality Surveillance System and interrogated using multilevel negative binomial regression. Random slopes were used to investigate spatiotemporal variation and the proportion of variance explained was used to assess the relative importance of geographical region, urbanization, mean temperature, local diabetes prevalence, behavioral risk factors and relevant biomarkers. Results: Diabetes mortality tended to reduce between 2006 and 2012, though there appeared to …


Do Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Circumstances Not Matter For Weight Status Among Australian Men? Multilevel Evidence From A Household Survey Of 14 691 Adults, Xiaoqi Feng, Andrew Wilson Jan 2015

Do Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Circumstances Not Matter For Weight Status Among Australian Men? Multilevel Evidence From A Household Survey Of 14 691 Adults, Xiaoqi Feng, Andrew Wilson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: A recent analysis of the Australian National Health Survey (2011-2012) reported that the patterning of overweight and obesity among men, unlike for women, was not associated with neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage. The purpose of this study was to examine whether this gender difference in potential neighbourhood 'effects' on adult weight status can be observed in analyses of a different source of data. Design, setting and participants: A cross-sectional sample of 14 693 people aged 18 years or older was selected from the 2012 wave of the 'Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia' (HILDA). Three person-level outcomes were considered: (1) …


Health Reform And Mortality In China: Multilevel Time-Series Analysis Of Regional And Socioeconomic Inequities In A Sample Of 73 Million, Thomas Astell-Burt, Yunning Liu, Xiaoqi Feng, Peng Yin, Andrew Page, Shiwei Liu, Jiangmei Liu, Lijun Wang, Maigeng Zhou Jan 2015

Health Reform And Mortality In China: Multilevel Time-Series Analysis Of Regional And Socioeconomic Inequities In A Sample Of 73 Million, Thomas Astell-Burt, Yunning Liu, Xiaoqi Feng, Peng Yin, Andrew Page, Shiwei Liu, Jiangmei Liu, Lijun Wang, Maigeng Zhou

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Chinas 2009 expansion of universal health insurance has received global interest, but little empirical investigation. This epidemiological study was a first attempt to assess potential impacts on population health and health equity. Multilevel negative binomial regression was used to analyse all-cause and non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality between 2006 and 2012 from a representative sample including all 31 provinces. The age-standardised ratios (per 100,000) in 2006 were 860.4 and 732.9 for mortality from all-causes and NCDs respectively. These ratios decreased over time to 737.5 (all-causes) and 642.9 (NCD) by 2012. Modelling indicated these trajectories were curvilinear, dipping more rapidly from 2009 …