Open AccessModel specification and unmeasured confounders in partially ecologic analyses based on group proportions of exposed
Author(s) -
Jonas Björk,
Ulf Strömberg
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of work, environment and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.621
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1795-990X
pISSN - 0355-3140
DOI - 10.5271/sjweh.868
Subject(s) - confounding , logistic regression , odds ratio , statistics , covariate , odds , demography , generalized linear model , linear regression , medicine , linear model , econometrics , mathematics , sociology
The aim of this study was to quantify bias from a partially ecologic analysis due to (i) model misspecification and (ii) an unmeasured confounder, considering various scenarios that may occur in occupational and environmental epidemiology. A study with an aggregate exposure variable, PE, but with outcome, group membership, and covariates assessed individually is partially ecologic. In this paper, PE is the proportion exposed; PE can vary across geographic areas or occupational groups.