A spatial beta-binomial model for clustered count data on dental caries

Stat Methods Med Res. 2011 Apr;20(2):85-102. doi: 10.1177/0962280210372453. Epub 2010 May 28.

Abstract

One of the most important indicators of dental caries prevalence is the total count of decayed, missing or filled surfaces in a tooth. These count data are often clustered in nature (several count responses clustered within a subject), over-dispersed as well as spatially referenced (a diseased tooth might be positively influencing the decay process of a set of neighbouring teeth). In this article, we develop a multivariate spatial betabinomial (BB) model for these data that accommodates both over-dispersion as well as latent spatial associations. Using a Bayesian paradigm, the re-parameterised marginal mean (as well as variance) under the BB framework are modelled using a regression on subject/tooth-specific co-variables and a conditionally autoregressive prior that models the latent spatial process. The necessity of exploiting spatial associations to model count data arising in dental caries research is demonstrated using a small simulation study. Real data confirms that our spatial BB model provides a superior estimation and model fit as compared to other sub-models that do not consider modelling spatial associations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Bayes Theorem
  • Biostatistics
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Dental Caries / epidemiology*
  • Dental Caries / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Likelihood Functions
  • Models, Statistical
  • Multivariate Analysis