title: Mapping disease and mortality rates using empirical Bayes estimators.
abstract: "Methods for estimating regional mortality and disease rates, with a view to mapping disease, are discussed.  A new empirical Bayes estimator, with parameters simply estimated by moments, is proposed and compared with iterative alternatives suggested by Clayton and Kaldor."  The author develops a local shrinkage estimator in which a crude disease rate is shrunk toward a local, neighborhood rate.  The estimators are compared using simulations and an empirical example based on infant mortality data for Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Marshall
mesh_terms: D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D004194:Disease; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005843:Geography; D007226:Infant Mortality; D008722:Methods; D009017:Morbidity; D009026:Mortality; D009520:New Zealand; D010139:Pacific Islands; D011153:Population; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012106:Research; D013223:Statistics as Topic
keywords: Comparative Studies; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Diseases; Estimation Technics; Evaluation; Geographic Factors; Infant Mortality; Methodological Studies; Morbidity; Mortality; New Zealand; Oceania; Population; Population Dynamics; Research Methodology; Studies