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Main Authors: Shi, Yuliang, Zhu, Yeying, Dubin, Joel A.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.08668
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author Shi, Yuliang
Zhu, Yeying
Dubin, Joel A.
author_facet Shi, Yuliang
Zhu, Yeying
Dubin, Joel A.
contents How to deal with missing data in observational studies is a common concern for causal inference. When the covariates are missing at random (MAR), multiple approaches have been provided to help solve the issue. However, if the exposure is MAR, few approaches are available and careful adjustments on both missingness and confounding issues are required to ensure a consistent estimate of the true causal effect on the response. In this article, a new inverse probability weighting (IPW) estimator based on weighted estimating equations (WEE) is proposed to incorporate weights from both the missingness and propensity score (PS) models, which can reduce the joint effect of extreme weights in finite samples. Additionally, we develop a triple robust (TR) estimator via WEE to further protect against the misspecification of the missingness model. The asymptotic properties of WEE estimators are proved using properties of estimating equations. Based on the simulation studies, WEE methods outperform others including imputation-based approaches in terms of bias and variability. Finally, an application study is conducted to identify the causal effect of the presence of cardiovascular disease on mortality for COVID-19 patients.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2406_08668
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Causal Inference on Missing Exposure via Robust Estimation
Shi, Yuliang
Zhu, Yeying
Dubin, Joel A.
Methodology
How to deal with missing data in observational studies is a common concern for causal inference. When the covariates are missing at random (MAR), multiple approaches have been provided to help solve the issue. However, if the exposure is MAR, few approaches are available and careful adjustments on both missingness and confounding issues are required to ensure a consistent estimate of the true causal effect on the response. In this article, a new inverse probability weighting (IPW) estimator based on weighted estimating equations (WEE) is proposed to incorporate weights from both the missingness and propensity score (PS) models, which can reduce the joint effect of extreme weights in finite samples. Additionally, we develop a triple robust (TR) estimator via WEE to further protect against the misspecification of the missingness model. The asymptotic properties of WEE estimators are proved using properties of estimating equations. Based on the simulation studies, WEE methods outperform others including imputation-based approaches in terms of bias and variability. Finally, an application study is conducted to identify the causal effect of the presence of cardiovascular disease on mortality for COVID-19 patients.
title Causal Inference on Missing Exposure via Robust Estimation
topic Methodology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.08668