title: Attributable fraction estimation from complex sample survey data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A review of methods for the estimation of attributable fraction (AF) statistics from case-control, cross-sectional, or cohort data collected under a complex sample design. Provide guidance on practical methods of complex sample AF estimation and inference using contemporary software tools.
  
  
  METHODS
  Statistical literature on AF estimation from complex samples for the period 1980 to 2014 is reviewed. A general approach based on weighted sum estimators of the AF and application of Jackknife repeated replication and Bootstrap resampling methods for estimating the variance of AF estimates is outlined and applied to an example analysis of risk factors for alcohol dependency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The literature lays the theoretical foundation to address the problem of AF estimation and inference from complex samples. To date, major statistical software packages do not provide a complete program but the approach is easily implemented using the modeling software and macro/function language capabilities available in major statistical analysis packages. In an example application, weighted sum estimation and inference for the population AF showed stable and consistent results under both Jackknife repeated replication and Bootstrap methods of variance estimation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future work on AF estimation for complex samples should focus on simulation studies and empirical testing to investigate the properties of the resampling variance estimation methods across a range of complex study design features and populations.
authors.affiliation: Survey Methodology Program, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Electronic address: sheering@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Heeringa
authors.affiliation: Survey Methodology Program, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Berglund
authors.affiliation: Survey Methodology Program, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Brady T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: Survey Methodology Program, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Edmundo R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Mellipilán
authors.affiliation: Statistics and Evaluation Division, American Cancer Society, Inc., Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Portier
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D011153:Population; D012107:Research Design; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Attributable fraction; Bootstrap; Cluster sampling; Complex sample design; Jackknife repeated replication; Population attributable risk; Stratified sampling; Weighting