Do-search : A Tool for Causal Inference and Study Design with Multiple Data Sources
Publiceringsår
2021
Upphovspersoner
Karvanen, Juha; Tikka, Santtu; Hyttinen, Antti
Abstrakt
Epidemiologic evidence is based on multiple data sources including clinical trials, cohort studies, surveys, registries, and expert opinions. Merging information from different sources opens up new possibilities for the estimation of causal effects. We show how causal effects can be identified and estimated by combining experiments and observations in real and realistic scenarios. As a new tool, we present do-search, a recently developed algorithmic approach that can determine the identifiability of a causal effect. The approach is based on do-calculus, and it can utilize data with nontrivial missing data and selection bias mechanisms. When the effect is identifiable, do-search outputs an identifying formula on which numerical estimation can be based. When the effect is not identifiable, we can use do-search to recognize additional data sources and assumptions that would make the effect identifiable. Throughout the article, we consider the effect of salt-adding behavior on blood pressure mediated by the salt intake as an example. The identifiability of this effect is resolved in various scenarios with different assumptions on confounding. There are scenarios where the causal effect is identifiable from a chain of experiments but not from survey data, as well as scenarios where the opposite is true. As an illustration, we use survey data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2016 and the results from a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and estimate the reduction in average systolic blood pressure under an intervention where the use of table salt is discontinued.
Visa merOrganisationer och upphovspersoner
Helsingfors universitet
Hyttinen Antti
Publikationstyp
Publikationsform
Artikel
Moderpublikationens typ
Tidning
Artikelstyp
En originalartikel
Målgrupp
VetenskapligKollegialt utvärderad
Kollegialt utvärderadUKM:s publikationstyp
A1 Originalartikel i en vetenskaplig tidskriftPublikationskanalens uppgifter
Journal
Moderpublikationens namn
Förläggare
Volym
32
Nummer
1
Sidor
111-119
ISSN
Publikationsforum
Publikationsforumsnivå
3
Öppen tillgång
Öppen tillgänglighet i förläggarens tjänst
Nej
Parallellsparad
Nej
Övriga uppgifter
Vetenskapsområden
Statistik; Data- och informationsvetenskap; Folkhälsovetenskap, miljö och arbetshälsa
Nyckelord
[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]
Publiceringsland
Förenta staterna (USA)
Förlagets internationalitet
Internationell
Språk
engelska
Internationell sampublikation
Nej
Sampublikation med ett företag
Nej
DOI
10.1097/EDE.0000000000001270
Publikationen ingår i undervisnings- och kulturministeriets datainsamling
Ja