title: High-risk studies are influenced by indirect range restriction.
abstract: High-risk studies select subjects who are at high risk for existing or future disease. Therefore, the range of disease is restricted in high-risk studies. This paper shows that high-risk studies are vulnerable to a particular type of range restriction referred to as indirect range restriction. A simulation study is used to illustrate the effects of indirect range restriction on high-risk studies. The results suggest that indirect range restriction can have a substantial impact on the results of high-risk studies. In addition, a review of several areas of behavioral medicine research suggests that high-risk studies have produced many misleading findings. The range restriction approach can be used to estimate statistical power in high-risk studies, interpret the results of high-risk studies, and design future high-risk studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston 77555-1153, USA.
authors.forename: T Q
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D018579:Patient Selection; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011336:Probability; D011594:Psychometrics; D012306:Risk; D014434:Type A Personality