title: A weighted average likelihood ratio test for spatial clustering of disease.
abstract: We consider methods proposed for detecting localized spatial clustering. We propose a new test statistic, the weighted average likelihood ratio test, as an alternative to the spatial scan (maximum likelihood ratio) test statistic. Two different types of weights are considered. We propose an unbiased cluster selection criterion and evaluate the bias of the tests through simulation. We also examine the power of the tests through simulations and apply the methods to the well-known New York leukaemia data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1300 University Avenue, 6720 Medical Sciences Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. ronald@biostat.wisc.edu
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Gangnon
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Clayton
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology