An empirical evaluation of alternative approaches to adjusting for attrition when analyzing longitudinal survey data on young adults' substance use trajectories
Abstract Objectives Longitudinal survey data allow for the estimation of developmental trajectories of substance use from adolescence to young adulthood, but these estimates may be subject to attrition bias. Moreover, there is a lack of consensus regarding the most effective statistical methodology...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2022-09-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.1916 |
| _version_ | 1811273566219403264 |
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| author | Yajuan Si Brady T. West Philip Veliz Megan E. Patrick John E. Schulenberg Deborah D. Kloska Yvonne M. Terry‐McElrath Sean E. McCabe |
| author_facet | Yajuan Si Brady T. West Philip Veliz Megan E. Patrick John E. Schulenberg Deborah D. Kloska Yvonne M. Terry‐McElrath Sean E. McCabe |
| author_sort | Yajuan Si |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objectives Longitudinal survey data allow for the estimation of developmental trajectories of substance use from adolescence to young adulthood, but these estimates may be subject to attrition bias. Moreover, there is a lack of consensus regarding the most effective statistical methodology to adjust for sample selection and attrition bias when estimating these trajectories. Our objective is to develop specific recommendations regarding adjustment approaches for attrition in longitudinal surveys in practice. Methods Analyzing data from the national U.S. Monitoring the Future panel study following four cohorts of individuals from modal ages 18 to 29/30, we systematically compare alternative approaches to analyzing longitudinal data with a wide range of substance use outcomes, and examine the sensitivity of inferences regarding substance use prevalence and trajectories as a function of college attendance to the approach used. Results Our results show that analyzing all available observations in each wave, while simultaneously accounting for the correlations among repeated observations, sample selection, and attrition, is the most effective approach. The adjustment effects are pronounced in wave‐specific descriptive estimates but generally modest in covariate‐adjusted trajectory modeling. Conclusions The adjustments can refine the precision, and, to some extent, the implications of our findings regarding young adult substance use trajectories. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T23:01:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e4cb489eb9ea493f810cf8dd484d00bc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1049-8931 1557-0657 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T23:01:47Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-e4cb489eb9ea493f810cf8dd484d00bc2022-12-22T03:13:02ZengWileyInternational Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research1049-89311557-06572022-09-01313n/an/a10.1002/mpr.1916An empirical evaluation of alternative approaches to adjusting for attrition when analyzing longitudinal survey data on young adults' substance use trajectoriesYajuan Si0Brady T. West1Philip Veliz2Megan E. Patrick3John E. Schulenberg4Deborah D. Kloska5Yvonne M. Terry‐McElrath6Sean E. McCabe7Survey Research Center Institute for Social Research University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USASurvey Research Center Institute for Social Research University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USADepartment of Systems, Populations and Leadership School of Nursing University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USASurvey Research Center Institute for Social Research University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USASurvey Research Center Institute for Social Research University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USASurvey Research Center Institute for Social Research University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USASurvey Research Center Institute for Social Research University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USACenter for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences School of Nursing University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USAAbstract Objectives Longitudinal survey data allow for the estimation of developmental trajectories of substance use from adolescence to young adulthood, but these estimates may be subject to attrition bias. Moreover, there is a lack of consensus regarding the most effective statistical methodology to adjust for sample selection and attrition bias when estimating these trajectories. Our objective is to develop specific recommendations regarding adjustment approaches for attrition in longitudinal surveys in practice. Methods Analyzing data from the national U.S. Monitoring the Future panel study following four cohorts of individuals from modal ages 18 to 29/30, we systematically compare alternative approaches to analyzing longitudinal data with a wide range of substance use outcomes, and examine the sensitivity of inferences regarding substance use prevalence and trajectories as a function of college attendance to the approach used. Results Our results show that analyzing all available observations in each wave, while simultaneously accounting for the correlations among repeated observations, sample selection, and attrition, is the most effective approach. The adjustment effects are pronounced in wave‐specific descriptive estimates but generally modest in covariate‐adjusted trajectory modeling. Conclusions The adjustments can refine the precision, and, to some extent, the implications of our findings regarding young adult substance use trajectories.https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.1916attritionlongitudinal trajectory modelingselection biassubstance useweighting |
| spellingShingle | Yajuan Si Brady T. West Philip Veliz Megan E. Patrick John E. Schulenberg Deborah D. Kloska Yvonne M. Terry‐McElrath Sean E. McCabe An empirical evaluation of alternative approaches to adjusting for attrition when analyzing longitudinal survey data on young adults' substance use trajectories International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research attrition longitudinal trajectory modeling selection bias substance use weighting |
| title | An empirical evaluation of alternative approaches to adjusting for attrition when analyzing longitudinal survey data on young adults' substance use trajectories |
| title_full | An empirical evaluation of alternative approaches to adjusting for attrition when analyzing longitudinal survey data on young adults' substance use trajectories |
| title_fullStr | An empirical evaluation of alternative approaches to adjusting for attrition when analyzing longitudinal survey data on young adults' substance use trajectories |
| title_full_unstemmed | An empirical evaluation of alternative approaches to adjusting for attrition when analyzing longitudinal survey data on young adults' substance use trajectories |
| title_short | An empirical evaluation of alternative approaches to adjusting for attrition when analyzing longitudinal survey data on young adults' substance use trajectories |
| title_sort | empirical evaluation of alternative approaches to adjusting for attrition when analyzing longitudinal survey data on young adults substance use trajectories |
| topic | attrition longitudinal trajectory modeling selection bias substance use weighting |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.1916 |
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