Open AccessSelection bias and misclassification in case–control studies conducted using the National Violent Death Reporting System
Author(s) -
Vivian H. Lyons,
Ali Rowhani-Rahbar,
Avanti Adhia,
Noel S. Weiss
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
injury prevention
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1475-5785
pISSN - 1353-8047
DOI - 10.1136/injuryprev-2020-043865
Subject(s) - selection (genetic algorithm) , selection bias , violent death , human factors and ergonomics , injury prevention , poison control , suicide prevention , psychology , etiology , medicine , psychiatry , environmental health , pathology , computer science , artificial intelligence
Conducting case-control studies using the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) has the potential to introduce selection bias and misclassification through control selection. Some studies that use NVDRS compare groups of individuals who died by one mechanism, intent or circumstance, to individuals who died by another mechanism, intent or circumstance. For aetiological studies within NVDRS, the use of controls who had a different type of violent death has the potential to introduce selection bias, while relying on narrative summaries for exposure measurement may result in misclassification. We discuss these two methodological issues, and identify an unusual circumstance in which selection of live controls within NVDRS can be employed.