The robust estimation method for a finite mixture of Poisson mixed-effect models

When analyzing clustered count data derived from several latent subpopulations, the finite mixture of the Poisson mixed-effect model is an immediate strategy to model the underlying heterogeneity. Within the generalized linear mixed model framework, parameters in such a model are often estimated thr...

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Main Authors: Xiang, Liming, Yau, Kelvin, Lee, Andy
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier Science 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/26295
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author Xiang, Liming
Yau, Kelvin
Lee, Andy
author_facet Xiang, Liming
Yau, Kelvin
Lee, Andy
author_sort Xiang, Liming
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description When analyzing clustered count data derived from several latent subpopulations, the finite mixture of the Poisson mixed-effect model is an immediate strategy to model the underlying heterogeneity. Within the generalized linear mixed model framework, parameters in such a model are often estimated through the residual maximum likelihood estimation approach. However, the method is vulnerable to outliers. To develop robust estimators, the minimum Hellinger distance (MHD) estimation approach has been proposed by Xiang et al. (Xiang, L., Yau, K.K.W., Lee, A.H., Hui, Y.V., 2008. Minimum Hellinger distance estimation for k-component Poisson mixture with random effects. Biometrics 64, 508–518) with the random effects following a normal distribution. In some circumstances, there is little information available on the joint distributional form of the random effects. Without prescribing a parametric form for the random effects distribution, we consider embedding the non-parametric maximum likelihood (NPML) approach within the MHD estimation to extend the robust estimation method for a finite mixture of Poisson mixed-effect models. The NPML estimation not only avoids the problem of numerical integration in deriving the MHD estimating equations, but also enhances the robustness characteristic because of its resistance to possible misspecification of the parametric distribution for the random effects. The performance of the new method is evaluated and compared with that of the existing MHD estimation using simulations. Application to analyze a real data set of recurrent urinary tract infections is illustrated.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-262952017-09-13T15:26:00Z The robust estimation method for a finite mixture of Poisson mixed-effect models Xiang, Liming Yau, Kelvin Lee, Andy Minimum Hellinger distance Robustness Finite mixture Non-parametric maximum likelihood When analyzing clustered count data derived from several latent subpopulations, the finite mixture of the Poisson mixed-effect model is an immediate strategy to model the underlying heterogeneity. Within the generalized linear mixed model framework, parameters in such a model are often estimated through the residual maximum likelihood estimation approach. However, the method is vulnerable to outliers. To develop robust estimators, the minimum Hellinger distance (MHD) estimation approach has been proposed by Xiang et al. (Xiang, L., Yau, K.K.W., Lee, A.H., Hui, Y.V., 2008. Minimum Hellinger distance estimation for k-component Poisson mixture with random effects. Biometrics 64, 508–518) with the random effects following a normal distribution. In some circumstances, there is little information available on the joint distributional form of the random effects. Without prescribing a parametric form for the random effects distribution, we consider embedding the non-parametric maximum likelihood (NPML) approach within the MHD estimation to extend the robust estimation method for a finite mixture of Poisson mixed-effect models. The NPML estimation not only avoids the problem of numerical integration in deriving the MHD estimating equations, but also enhances the robustness characteristic because of its resistance to possible misspecification of the parametric distribution for the random effects. The performance of the new method is evaluated and compared with that of the existing MHD estimation using simulations. Application to analyze a real data set of recurrent urinary tract infections is illustrated. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/26295 10.1016/j.csda.2011.12.006 Elsevier Science restricted
spellingShingle Minimum Hellinger distance
Robustness
Finite mixture
Non-parametric maximum likelihood
Xiang, Liming
Yau, Kelvin
Lee, Andy
The robust estimation method for a finite mixture of Poisson mixed-effect models
title The robust estimation method for a finite mixture of Poisson mixed-effect models
title_full The robust estimation method for a finite mixture of Poisson mixed-effect models
title_fullStr The robust estimation method for a finite mixture of Poisson mixed-effect models
title_full_unstemmed The robust estimation method for a finite mixture of Poisson mixed-effect models
title_short The robust estimation method for a finite mixture of Poisson mixed-effect models
title_sort robust estimation method for a finite mixture of poisson mixed-effect models
topic Minimum Hellinger distance
Robustness
Finite mixture
Non-parametric maximum likelihood
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/26295