Exact Confidence Limits on Some New Measures of Concordance and Discordance in Binary Outcomes

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 437-443
Author(s):  
Kung-Jong Lui
Methodology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 132-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Höfler

A standardized index for effect intensity, the translocation relative to range (TRR), is discussed. TRR is defined as the difference between the expectations of an outcome under two conditions (the absolute increment) divided by the maximum possible amount for that difference. TRR measures the shift caused by a factor relative to the maximum possible magnitude of that shift. For binary outcomes, TRR simply equals the risk difference, also known as the inverse number needed to treat. TRR ranges from –1 to 1 but is – unlike a correlation coefficient – a measure for effect intensity, because it does not rely on variance parameters in a certain population as do effect size measures (e.g., correlations, Cohen’s d). However, the use of TRR is restricted on outcomes with fixed and meaningful endpoints given, for instance, for meaningful psychological questionnaires or Likert scales. The use of TRR vs. Cohen’s d is illustrated with three examples from Psychological Science 2006 (issues 5 through 8). It is argued that, whenever TRR applies, it should complement Cohen’s d to avoid the problems related to the latter. In any case, the absolute increment should complement d.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Rayner ◽  
Jonathan Richard Iain Coleman ◽  
Kirstin Lee Purves ◽  
Ewan Carr ◽  
Rosa Cheesman ◽  
...  

Background: Anxiety and depressive disorders can be chronic and disabling, and are associated with poor outcomes. Whilst there are effective treatments, access to these is variable and only a fraction of those in need receive treatment. Aims: The primary aim was to investigate sociodemographic correlates of lifetime treatment access and unpick the relationships between socioeconomic features and treatment inequalities. As such, we aimed to identify groups at greatest risk of never accessing treatment and targets for intervention. Methods: We tested for sociodemographic factors associated with treatment access in UK Biobank participants with lifetime generalised anxiety or major depressive disorder, performing multivariable logistic regressions on two binary outcomes: treatment-seeking (n=33,704) and treatment receipt (n=28,940). Results: Treatment access was less likely in those who were male, from a UK ethnic minority background and who self-medicated with alcohol or drugs. Treatment access was more likely in those who reported use of self-help strategies, with lower income (<£30,000) and greater neighbourhood deprivation, as well as those with a university degree. Conclusion: This work on lifetime treatment seeking and receipt replicates known correlates of treatment receipt during time of treatment need. Our focus on treatment-seeking and receipt highlights two targets for improving treatment access. More work is required to understand the psychosocial barriers to treatment, which mediate the associations observed here.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 745
Author(s):  
Rob Stephenson ◽  
Stephen P. Sullivan ◽  
Renee A. Pitter ◽  
Alexis S. Hunter ◽  
Tanaka MD Chavanduka

This paper presents data from an online sample of U.S gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), to explore the factors associated with three dimensions of vaccine beliefs: perception of the likelihood of a COVID-19 vaccine becoming available, perception of when a COVID-19 vaccine would become available, and the likelihood of taking a COVID-19 vaccine. Data are taken from the Love and Sex in the Time of COVID-19 study, collected from November 2020 to January 2021. A sample of 290 GBMSM is analyzed, modeling three binary outcomes: belief that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine, belief that the COVID-19 vaccine will be available in 6 months, and being very likely to take the COVID-19 vaccine. In contrast to other studies, Black/African Americans and GBMSM living with HIV had higher levels of pandemic optimism and were more likely to be willing to accept a vaccine. Men who perceived a higher prevalence of COVID-19 among their friends and sex partners, and those who had reduced their sex partners, were more likely to be willing to take a COVID-19 vaccine. There remained a small percentage of participants (14%) who did not think the pandemic would end, that there would not be a vaccine and were unlikely to take a vaccine. To reach the levels of vaccination necessary to control the pandemic, it is imperative to understand the characteristics of those experiencing vaccine hesitancy and then tailor public health messages to their unique set of barriers and motivations.


2021 ◽  
pp. 263208432199622
Author(s):  
Tim Mathes ◽  
Oliver Kuss

Background Meta-analysis of systematically reviewed studies on interventions is the cornerstone of evidence based medicine. In the following, we will introduce the common-beta beta-binomial (BB) model for meta-analysis with binary outcomes and elucidate its equivalence to panel count data models. Methods We present a variation of the standard “common-rho” BB (BBST model) for meta-analysis, namely a “common-beta” BB model. This model has an interesting connection to fixed-effect negative binomial regression models (FE-NegBin) for panel count data. Using this equivalence, it is possible to estimate an extension of the FE-NegBin with an additional multiplicative overdispersion term (RE-NegBin), while preserving a closed form likelihood. An advantage due to the connection to econometric models is, that the models can be easily implemented because “standard” statistical software for panel count data can be used. We illustrate the methods with two real-world example datasets. Furthermore, we show the results of a small-scale simulation study that compares the new models to the BBST. The input parameters of the simulation were informed by actually performed meta-analysis. Results In both example data sets, the NegBin, in particular the RE-NegBin showed a smaller effect and had narrower 95%-confidence intervals. In our simulation study, median bias was negligible for all methods, but the upper quartile for median bias suggested that BBST is most affected by positive bias. Regarding coverage probability, BBST and the RE-NegBin model outperformed the FE-NegBin model. Conclusion For meta-analyses with binary outcomes, the considered common-beta BB models may be valuable extensions to the family of BB models.


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