Performance of weighted estimating equations for longitudinal binary data with drop‐outs missing at random

Abstract

The generalized estimating equations (GEE) approach is commonly used to model incomplete longitudinal binary data. When drop‐outs are missing at random through dependence on observed responses (MAR), GEE may give biased parameter estimates in the model for the marginal means. A weighted estimating equations approach gives consistent estimation under MAR when the drop‐out mechanism is correctly specified. In this approach, observations or person‐visits are weighted inversely proportional to their probability of being observed. Using a simulation study, we compare the performance of unweighted and weighted GEE in models for time‐specific means of a repeated binary response with MAR drop‐outs. Weighted GEE resulted in smaller finite sample bias than GEE. However, when the drop‐out model was misspecified, weighted GEE sometimes performed worse than GEE. Weighted GEE with observation‐level weights gave more efficient estimates than a weighted GEE procedure with cluster‐level weights. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.