Joint modeling of two count variables using a shared random effect model in the presence of clusters for complex data

Sooriyarachchi, Marina Roshini

In epidemiology, it is often the case that two or more correlated count response variables are encountered. Under this scenario, it is more efficient to model the data using a joint model. Besides, if one of these count variables has an excess of zeros (spike at zero) the log link cannot be used in general. The situation is more complicated when the data is grouped into clusters. A Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) is used to accommodate this cluster covariance. The objective of this research is to develop a new modeling approach that can handle this situation. The method is illustrated on a global data set of Covid 19 patients. The important conclusions are that the new model was successfully implemented both in theory and practice. A plot of the residuals indicated a well-fitting model to the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Biostatistics & Epidemiology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)