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Assigning time‐linked exposure status to controls in unmatched case‐control studies: alcohol use and nearly lethal suicide attempts
Author(s) -
Kresnow Marciejo,
Powell Kenneth E.,
Webb Kevin B.,
Mercy James A.,
Potter Lloyd B.,
Simon Thomas A.,
Ikeda Robin M.,
Frankowski Ralph
Publication year - 2001
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/sim.684
Subject(s) - medicine , environmental health , alcohol , control (management) , demography , medical emergency , statistics , emergency medicine , computer science , mathematics , biology , sociology , artificial intelligence , biochemistry
In case‐control studies, determination of alcohol consumption by cases immediately prior to the injury event is often conceptually straightforward. However, determination of consumption status by controls is difficult because they lack a reference point, especially when cases and controls are not individually matched. We describe a method of assigning alcohol consumption status to controls using a 24‐hour drinking history, the distribution in time of case events, and the random assignment of a specific time period to each control subject. This methodology offers a practical approach for determining alcohol consumption status among control subjects immediately prior to a case event, when controls lack a reference point and have not been individually matched to cases. Published in 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.