Biomaterial Database

Classical latent variable models for medical research. 2008

Sophia Rabe-Hesketh, and Anders Skrondal

Graduate School of Education and Graduate Group in Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1670, USA. sophiarh@berkeley.edu

Latent variable models are commonly used in medical statistics, although often not referred to under this name. In this paper we describe classical latent variable models such as factor analysis, item response theory, latent class models and structural equation models. Their usefulness in medical research is demonstrated using real data. Examples include measurement of forced expiratory flow, measurement of physical disability, diagnosis of myocardial infarction and modelling the determinants of clients' satisfaction with counsellors' interviews.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008137	Longitudinal Studies	Studies in which variables relating to an individual or group of individuals are assessed over a period of time.	Bogalusa Heart Study,California Teachers Study,Framingham Heart Study,Jackson Heart Study,Longitudinal Survey,Tuskegee Syphilis Study,Bogalusa Heart Studies,California Teachers Studies,Framingham Heart Studies,Heart Studies, Bogalusa,Heart Studies, Framingham,Heart Studies, Jackson,Heart Study, Bogalusa,Heart Study, Framingham,Heart Study, Jackson,Jackson Heart Studies,Longitudinal Study,Longitudinal Surveys,Studies, Bogalusa Heart,Studies, California Teachers,Studies, Jackson Heart,Studies, Longitudinal,Study, Bogalusa Heart,Study, California Teachers,Study, Longitudinal,Survey, Longitudinal,Surveys, Longitudinal,Syphilis Studies, Tuskegee,Syphilis Study, Tuskegee,Teachers Studies, California,Teachers Study, California,Tuskegee Syphilis Studies
D010352	Patient Dropouts	Discontinuance of care received by patient(s) due to reasons other than full recovery from the disease.	Dropout, Patient,Dropouts, Patient,Patient Dropout
D011788	Quality of Life	A generic concept reflecting concern with the modification and enhancement of life attributes, e.g., physical, political, moral, social environment as well as health and disease.	HRQOL,Health-Related Quality Of Life,Life Quality,Health Related Quality Of Life
D005163	Factor Analysis, Statistical	A set of statistical methods for analyzing the correlations among several variables in order to estimate the number of fundamental dimensions that underlie the observed data and to describe and measure those dimensions. It is used frequently in the development of scoring systems for rating scales and questionnaires.	Analysis, Factor,Analysis, Statistical Factor,Factor Analysis,Statistical Factor Analysis,Analyses, Factor,Analyses, Statistical Factor,Factor Analyses,Factor Analyses, Statistical,Statistical Factor Analyses
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001699	Biometry	The use of statistical and mathematical methods to analyze biological observations and phenomena.	Biometric Analysis,Biometrics,Analyses, Biometric,Analysis, Biometric,Biometric Analyses
D015201	Meta-Analysis as Topic	A quantitative method of combining the results of independent studies (usually drawn from the published literature) and synthesizing summaries and conclusions which may be used to evaluate therapeutic effectiveness, plan new studies, etc., with application chiefly in the areas of research and medicine.	Clinical Trial Overviews,Data Pooling,Overviews, Clinical Trial,Clinical Trial Overview,Data Poolings,Meta Analysis as Topic,Overview, Clinical Trial
D015233	Models, Statistical	Statistical formulations or analyses which, when applied to data and found to fit the data, are then used to verify the assumptions and parameters used in the analysis. Examples of statistical models are the linear model, binomial model, polynomial model, two-parameter model, etc.	Probabilistic Models,Statistical Models,Two-Parameter Models,Model, Statistical,Models, Binomial,Models, Polynomial,Statistical Model,Binomial Model,Binomial Models,Model, Binomial,Model, Polynomial,Model, Probabilistic,Model, Two-Parameter,Models, Probabilistic,Models, Two-Parameter,Polynomial Model,Polynomial Models,Probabilistic Model,Two Parameter Models,Two-Parameter Model
D016019	Survival Analysis	A class of statistical procedures for estimating the survival function (function of time, starting with a population 100% well at a given time and providing the percentage of the population still well at later times). The survival analysis is then used for making inferences about the effects of treatments, prognostic factors, exposures, and other covariates on the function.	Analysis, Survival,Analyses, Survival,Survival Analyses
D035843	Biomedical Research	Research that involves the application of the natural sciences, especially biology and physiology, to medicine.	Medical Research,Experimental Medicine,Investigational Medicine,Investigative Medicine,Research, Biomedical,Research, Medical,Medicine, Experimental,Medicine, Investigational,Medicine, Investigative