title: [Cluster analysis applied in the epidemiological stratification analysis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish a new method on stratification analysis when the stratification limits of confounding factors was not clear or contradictory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on a study of diabetes mellitus in Guangdong province collected in the year of 1997 and 1998 was analyzed using cluster-stratification analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The efficiency of stratification analysis was improved and the confounding bias was effectively controlled with information bias avoided when the clusters-stratification analysis was applied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The problem was logically solved using cluster analysis as an assistant stratification means.
authors.affiliation: Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510300, China.
authors.forename: Ji-kai
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi-ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Chao-feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yao-xing
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Wei-sheng
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chi-peng
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015982:Bias; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors