Missing observations in regression: a conditional approach

• Published in: Royal Society open science Vol. 10; no. 2; p. 220267
• Main Authors: Battey, H S, Cox, D R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Royal Society 08-02-2023
• Subjects: ancillarity; EM algorithm; fractional factorial; Hadamard matrix; Mathematics; missing data; regression; Hadamard matrix; ancillarity; EM algorithm; regression; fractional factorial; missing data
• ISSN: 2054-5703; 2054-5703
• DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220267

This note presents an alternative to multiple imputation and other approaches to regression analysis in the presence of missing covariate data. Our recommendation, based on factorial and fractional factorial arrangements, is more faithful to ancillarity considerations of regression analysis and involves assessing the sensitivity of inference on each regression parameter to missingness in each of the explanatory variables. The ideas are illustrated on a medical example concerned with the success of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children, and on a sociological example concerned with socio-economic inequalities in educational attainment.