The importance of distribution-choice in modeling substance use data: a comparison of negative binomial, beta binomial, and zero-inflated distributions.

ABSTRACT:

Background

It is important to correctly understand the associations among addiction to multiple drugs and between co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders. Substance-specific outcomes (e.g. number of days used cannabis) have distributional characteristics which range widely depending on the substance and the sample being evaluated.

Objectives

We recommend a four-part strategy for determining the appropriate distribution for modeling substance use data. We demonstrate this strategy by comparing the model fit and resulting inferences from applying four different distributions to model use of substances that range greatly in the prevalence and frequency of their use.

Methods

Using Timeline Followback (TLFB) data from a previously-published study, we used nega

SUBMITTER: Wagner B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4692373 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature