"Spatial heterogeneity of environmental risk in randomized prevention trials: consequences and modeling".

ABSTRACT:

Background

In the context of environmentally influenced communicable diseases, proximity to environmental sources results in spatial heterogeneity of risk, which is sometimes difficult to measure in the field. Most prevention trials use randomization to achieve comparability between groups, thus failing to account for heterogeneity. This study aimed to determine under what conditions spatial heterogeneity biases the results of randomized prevention trials, and to compare different approaches to modeling this heterogeneity.

Methods

Using the example of a malaria prevention trial, simulations were performed to quantify the impact of spatial heterogeneity and to compare different models. Simulated scenarios combined variation in baseline risk, a continuous protective factor (ag

SUBMITTER: Guindo A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6632226 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature