Accounting for missing data in public health research using a synthesis of statistical and mathematical models.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Accounting for missing data by imputing or weighting conditional on covariates relies on the variable with missingness being observed at least some of the time for all unique covariate values. This requirement is referred to as positivity, and positivity violations can result in bias. Here, we review a novel approach to addressing positivity violations in the context of systolic blood pressure.

Methods

To illustrate the proposed approach, we estimate the mean systolic blood pressure among children and adolescents aged 2-17 years old in the USA using data from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). As blood pressure was not measured for those aged 2-7, there exists a positivity violation by design. Using a recently proposed synth

SUBMITTER: Zivich PN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7618619 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature