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Applications of Additive Semivarying Coefficient Models: Monthly Suicide Data from Hong Kong
Author(s) -
Huggins Richard M.,
Hall Peter,
Yip Paul S. F.,
Bui Quang M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
biometrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.298
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1541-0420
pISSN - 0006-341X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-0420.2006.00727.x
Subject(s) - estimator , nonparametric statistics , statistics , econometrics , estimation , parametric statistics , socioeconomic status , parametric model , poison control , generalized additive model , data collection , suicide rates , suicide prevention , mathematics , environmental health , economics , medicine , population , management
Summary A semivarying coefficient model for the monthly numbers of suicides in Hong Kong is developed and a new estimation procedure for estimating the parametric component is proposed. The estimators are examined in a small simulation study and fitted to monthly suicide data to estimate a nonparametric long‐term trend and parametric seasonal and socioeconomic effects. Fitting the model detected interpretable structure in the data that is consistent with that driving public health policy. While exploratory, the analysis motivates the collection of more detailed data and the development of more sophisticated models to help determine target groups and strategies to reduce the suicide rate in Hong Kong.