title: Disease clusters, exact distributions of maxima, and P-values.
abstract: This paper presents combinatorial (exact) methods that are useful in the analysis of disease cluster data obtained from small environments, such as buildings and neighbourhoods. Maxwell-Boltzmann and Fermi-Dirac occupancy models are compared in terms of appropriateness of representation of disease incidence patterns (space and/or time) in these environments. The methods are illustrated by a statistical analysis of the incidence pattern of bone fractures in a setting wherein fracture clustering was alleged to be occurring. One of the methodological results derived in this paper is the exact distribution of the maximum cell frequency in occupancy models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, SUNY at Stony Brook 11794-8036.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Grimson
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology