Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

An Investigation Of The Rank Transformation In Multple Regression, Todd C. Headrick, Ourania Rotou

Todd Christopher Headrick

Real world data often fail to meet the underlying assumptions of normal statistical theory. The rank transformation (RT) procedure is recommended and used in the context of multiple regression analysis when the assumption of normality is violated. There is no general supporting theory of the RT. In view of this, the current study examined the Type I error and power properties of the RT in terms of multiple regression. The investigation included both additive and nonadditive models. Results indicated that there were severely inflated Type I error rates associated with the RT procedure under both normal and nonnormal distributions (e.g., …

Parametric And Nonparametric Methods For Understanding The Relationship Between Carcinogen-Induced Dna Adduct Levels In Distal And Proximal Regions Of The Colon., Jeffrey S. Morris, Naisyin Wang, Joanne R. Lupton, Robert S. Chapkin, Nancy D. Turner, Mee-Young Hong, Raymond J. Carroll

Jeffrey S. Morris

An important problem in studying the etiology of colon cancer is understanding the relationship between DNA adduct levels (broadly, DNA damage) in cells within colonic crypts in distal and proximal parts of the colon, following treatment with a carcinogen and different types of diet. In particular, it is important to understand whether rats who have elevated adduct levels in particular positions in distal region crypts also have elevated levels in the same positions of the crypts in proximal regions, and whether this relationship depends on diet. We cast this problem as estimating the correlation function of two responses as a …

Transforming Self-Rated Health And The Sf-36 Scales To Include Death And Improve Interpretability, Paula Diehr

Paula Diehr

BACKGROUND: Most measures of health-related quality of life are undefined for people who die. Longitudinal analyses are often limited to a healthier cohort (survivors) that cannot be identified prospectively, and that may have had little change in health. OBJECTIVE: To develop and evaluate methods to transform a single self-rated health item (excellent to poor; EVGGFP) and the physical component score of the SF-36 (PCS) to new variables that include a defensible value for death. METHODS: Using longitudinal data from two large studies of older adults, health variables were transformed to the probability of being healthy in the future, conditional on …

Probabilities Of Transition Among Health States For Older Adults, Paula Diehr

Paula Diehr

GOAL: To estimate the probabilities of transition among self-rated health states for older adults, and examine how they vary by age and sex. METHODS: We used self-rated health (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor, dead) collected in two longitudinal studies of older adults (mean age 75) to estimate the probability of transition in 2 years. We used the estimates to project future health for selected cohorts. FINDINGS: These older adults were most likely to be in the same health state 2 years later, but a substantial proportion changed in both directions. Transition probabilities varied by initial health state, age and …

Patterns Of Self-Rated Health In Older Adults Before And After Sentinel Events, Paula Diehr

Paula Diehr

OBJECTIVES: To describe and compare patterns of change in self-rated health for older adults before death and before and after stroke, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, cardiac procedure, hospital admission for cancer, and hip fracture. DESIGN: "Event cohort," measuring time in months before and after the event. SETTING: Four U.S. communities. PARTICIPANTS: 5888 participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), sampled from Medicare rolls and followed up to 8 years. Mean age at baseline was 73. MEASUREMENTS: Self-rated health, including a category for death, assessed at 6-month intervals, and ascertainment of events. METHODS: We examined the percentage that was healthy …

Testing For Asymmetry In Economic Time Series Using Bootstrap Methods, Claudio Lupi, Patrizia Ordine

Claudio Lupi

In this paper we show that phase-scrambling bootstrap offers a natural framework for asymmetry testing in economic time series. A comparison with other bootstrap schemes is also sketched. A Monte Carlo analysis is carried out to evaluate the size and power properties of the phase-scrambling bootstrap-based test.

Benchmarking Patient Outcomes, Ellen B. Rudy, Joseph F. Lucke, Gayle R. Whitman, Lynda J. Davidson

Joseph Lucke

Purpose: To examine the usefulness of three types of benchmarking for interpreting patient outcome data.

Design: This study was part of a multiyear, multihospital longitudinal survey of 10 patient outcomes. The patient outcome used for this methodologic presentation was central line infections (CLI). The sample included eight hospitals in an integrated healthcare system, with a range in size from 144 to 861 beds. The unit of analysis for CLI was the number of line days, with the CLI rate defined as the number of infections per 1,000 patient-line days per month.

Methods: Data on each outcome were collected at the …