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Using the general linear mixed model to analyse unbalanced repeated measures and longitudinal data
Author(s) -
Cnaan Avital,
Laird Nan M.,
Slasor Peter
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
statistics in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.996
H-Index - 183
eISSN - 1097-0258
pISSN - 0277-6715
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0258(19971030)16:20<2349::aid-sim667>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - computer science , mixed model , flexibility (engineering) , longitudinal data , linear model , generalized linear mixed model , goodness of fit , generalized linear model , econometrics , data mining , data science , statistics , machine learning , mathematics
The general linear mixed model provides a useful approach for analysing a wide variety of data structures which practising statisticians often encounter. Two such data structures which can be problematic to analyse are unbalanced repeated measures data and longitudinal data. Owing to recent advances in methods and software, the mixed model analysis is now readily available to data analysts. The model is similar in many respects to ordinary multiple regression, but because it allows correlation between the observations, it requires additional work to specify models and to assess goodness‐of‐fit. The extra complexity involved is compensated for by the additional flexibility it provides in model fitting. The purpose of this tutorial is to provide readers with a sufficient introduction to the theory to understand the method and a more extensive discussion of model fitting and checking in order to provide guidelines for its use. We provide two detailed case studies, one a clinical trial with repeated measures and dropouts, and one an epidemiological survey with longitudinal follow‐up. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.