Decomposition of longitudinal disparities: an application to the fetal growth-singletons study
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Addressing health disparities across demographic groups remains a critical challenge in public health, with significant gaps in understanding how these disparities evolve over time. This paper extends the traditional Peters-Belson decomposition to a longitudinal setting, focusing on the role of a single explanatory variable, referred to as a modifier, that captures complex interactions with other covariates. The proposed method partitions disparities into 3 components: (i) the portion associated with differences in the conditional distribution of covariates, evaluated under a common distribution of the modifier across groups; (ii) the portion arising from differences in the distribution of the modifier and its interactions with other covariates; and (iii) the unexplained disparity not accounted for by observed covariates. Rather than aggregating the first 2 components into one "explained disparity," the proposed method allows for a separate characterization of temporal patterns in disparities, distinguishing those that are unassociated with the modifier from those that are associated with it. We illustrate the method using a fetal growth study, examining disparities in fetal development trajectories across racial and ethnic groups during pregnancy.
Source: Biostatistics
Authors: Sang Kyu Lee, Seonjin Kim, Mi-Ok Kim, Katherine L Grantz, Hyokyoung G Hong
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Reduced inequalities
Open Access status: green
Awards: G1166402150, G1254978386, G1480708056, G1717420872, G2039955566, G2156740802, G2553680071, G3160321708, G3191675891, G380434283, G380822103, G3947709714, G4266520626, G4831972019, G5253680757, G5321719769, G588696285, G6151197869, G6286458469, G6293434610, G694054410, G7339608600, G7820179066, G7885016478, G8115270490, G8970881683, G9000125524
OpenAlex ID: W4417304841