title: Regression analysis for multiple-disease group testing data.
abstract: Group testing, where individual specimens are composited into groups to test for the presence of a disease (or other binary characteristic), is a procedure commonly used to reduce the costs of screening a large number of individuals. Group testing data are unique in that only group responses may be available, but inferences are needed at the individual level. A further methodological challenge arises when individuals are tested in groups for multiple diseases simultaneously, because unobserved individual disease statuses are likely correlated. In this paper, we propose new regression techniques for multiple-disease group testing data. We develop an expectation-solution based algorithm that provides consistent parameter estimates and natural large-sample inference procedures. We apply our proposed methodology to chlamydia and gonorrhea screening data collected in Nebraska as part of the Infertility Prevention Project and to prenatal infectious disease screening data from Kenya.
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Boan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bilder
authors.forename: Joshua M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tebbs
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009329:Nebraska / Q000453:epidemiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013587:Syphilis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Infertility Prevention Project; correlated binary data; expectation-solution algorithm; generalized estimating equations; pooled testing; specimen pooling