Clarifying the use of aggregated exposures in multilevel models: self-included vs. self-excluded measures.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Multilevel analyses are ideally suited to assess the effects of ecological (higher level) and individual (lower level) exposure variables simultaneously. In applying such analyses to measures of ecologies in epidemiological studies, individual variables are usually aggregated into the higher level unit. Typically, the aggregated measure includes responses of every individual belonging to that group (i.e. it constitutes a self-included measure). More recently, researchers have developed an aggregate measure which excludes the response of the individual to whom the aggregate measure is linked (i.e. a self-excluded measure). In this study, we clarify the substantive and technical properties of these two measures when they are used as exposures in multilevel models.

Metho

SUBMITTER: Suzuki E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3519740 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature