title: Interval estimation for a difference between intraclass kappa statistics.
abstract: Model-based inference procedures for the kappa statistic have developed rapidly over the last decade. However, no method has yet been developed for constructing a confidence interval about a difference between independent kappa statistics that is valid in samples of small to moderate size. In this article, we propose and evaluate two such methods based on an idea proposed by Newcombe (1998, Statistics in Medicine, 17, 873-890) for constructing a confidence interval for a difference between independent proportions. The methods are shown to provide very satisfactory results in sample sizes as small as 25 subjects per group. Sample size requirements that achieve a prespecified expected width for a confidence interval about a difference of kappa statistic are also presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. donner@biostats.uwo.ca
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donner
authors.forename: Guangyong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zou
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D015588:Observer Variation; D018401:Sample Size; D013223:Statistics as Topic / Q000379:methods*