Download Missing Data - Survey Research Laboratory

Introduction to Survey
Data Analysis
Linda K. Owens, PhD
Assistant Director for Sampling & Analysis
Survey Research Laboratory
University of Illinois at Chicago
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Focus of the seminar
 Data cleaning/missing data
 Sampling bias reduction
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When analyzing survey data...
1. Understand & evaluate survey
design
2. Screen the data
3. Adjust for sampling design
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1. Understand & evaluate survey
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Conductor of survey
Sponsor of survey
Measured variables
Unit of analysis
Mode of data collection
Dates of data collection
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1. Understand & evaluate survey
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Geographic coverage
Respondent eligibility criteria
Sample design
Sample size & response rate
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Levels of measurement
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Nominal
Ordinal
Interval
Ratio
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2. Data screening
ALWAYS examine raw frequency
distributions for…
(a) out-of-range values (outliers)
(b) missing values
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2. Data screening
Out-of-range values:
 Delete data
 Recode values
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Missing data:
 can reduce effective sample size
 may introduce bias
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Reasons for missing data
 Refusals (question sensitivity)
 Don’t know responses (cognitive problems,
memory problems)
 Not applicable
 Data processing errors
 Questionnaire programming errors
 Design factors
 Attrition in panel studies
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Effects of ignoring missing data
 Reduced sample size – loss of statistical
power
 Data may no longer be representative–
introduces bias
 Difficult to identify effects
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Assumptions on missing data
 Missing completely at random
(MCAR)
 Missing at random (MAR)
 Ignorable
 Nonignorable
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Missing completely at random (MCAR)
 Being missing is independent from
any variables.
 Cases with complete data are
indistinguishable from cases with
missing data.
 Missing cases are a random subsample of original sample.
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Missing at random (MAR)
 The probability of a variable being
observed is independent of the true
value of that variable controlling for
one or more variables.
 Example: Probability of missing
income is unrelated to income within
levels of education.
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Ignorable missing data
 The data are MAR.
 The missing data mechanism is
unrelated to the parameters we want
to estimate.
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Nonignorable missing data
 The pattern of data missingness is
non-MAR.
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Methods of handling missing data
 Listwise (casewise) deletion: uses only
complete cases
 Pairwise deletion: uses all available cases
 Dummy variable adjustment: Missing
value indicator method
 Mean substitution: substitute mean value
computed from available cases (cf.
unconditional or conditional)
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Methods of handling missing data
 Regression methods: predict value
based on regression equation with
other variables as predictors
 Hot deck: identify the most similar
case to the case with a missing and
impute the value
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Methods of handling missing data
 Maximum likelihood methods: use all
available data to generate maximum
likelihood-based statistics.
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Methods of handling missing data
 Multiple imputation: combines the
methods of ML to produce multiple
data sets with imputed values for
missing cases
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Multiple Imputation Software
SAS—user written IVEware,
experimental MI & MIANALYZE
STATA—user written ICE
R—user written libraries and functions
SOLAS
S-PLUS
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Methods of handling missing data:
summary
Listwise deletion assumes MCAR or MAR
Dummy variable adjustment is biased, don’t
use
Conditional mean substitution assumes MCAR
within cells
Hot Deck & Regression improvement on mean
substitution but...
Multiple Imputation is least biased but
computationally intensive
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Missing Data Final Point
All methods of imputation underestimate
true variance
 artificial increase in sample size
 values treated as though obtained by data
collection
Rao (1996) On variance estimation with
imputed survey data. Jrn. Am. Stat.
Assoc. 91:499-506
Fay (1996) in bibliography
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Types of survey sample designs
 Simple Random Sampling
 Systematic Sampling
 Complex sample designs
 stratified designs
 cluster designs
 mixed mode designs
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Why complex sample designs?
 Increased efficiency
 Decreased costs
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Why complex sample designs?
 Statistical software packages with an
assumption of SRS underestimate the
sampling variance.
 Not accounting for the impact of
complex sample design can lead to a
biased estimate of the sampling
variance (Type I error).
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Sample weights
 Used to adjust for differing
probabilities of selection.
 In theory, simple random samples
are self-weighted.
 In practice, simple random samples
are likely to also require adjustments
for nonresponse.
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Types of sample weights
 Poststratification weights: designed to bring
the sample proportions in demographic
subgroups into agreement with the
population proportion in the subgroups.
 Nonresponse weights: designed to inflate the
weights of survey respondents to compensate
for nonrespondents with similar
characteristics.
 “Blow-up” (expansion) weights: provide
estimates for the total population of interest.
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Syntax examples of design-based
analysis in STATA, SUDAAN, & SAS
STATA
svyset
svyset
svyset
svyreg
strata strata
psu psu
pweight finalwt
fatitk age male black hispanic
SUDAAN
proc regress data=”c:\nhanes.sav” filetype=spss desgn=wr;
nest strata psu;
weight finalwt
subpgroup sex race;
levels
2
3;
model fatintk = age sex race;
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Syntax examples of design-based
analysis in STATA, SUDAAN, & SAS
SAS
proc surveyreg data=nhanes;
strata strata;
cluster psu;
class sex race;
model fatintk = age sex race;
weight finalwt
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In summary, when analyzing survey
data...
 Understand & evaluate survey design
 Screen the data – deal with missing data
& outliers.
 If necessary, adjust for study design
using weights and appropriate computer
software.
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Bibliography
On website with slides
Big names in area of missing data are:
• Roderick Little
• Donald B. Rubin
• Paul Allison
• See also McKnight et.al. Missing Data: A Gentle
Introduction
Large government datasets (NSFG, NHANES, NHIS)
often include detailed methodological
documentation on imputation and weight
construction.
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Thank You!
www.srl.uic.edu
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