Dataset Information

Causal Mediation Analysis With Observational Data: Considerations and Illustration Examining Mechanisms Linking Neighborhood Poverty to Adolescent Substance Use.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the mediation mechanisms by which an exposure or intervention affects an outcome can provide a look into what has been called a "black box" of many epidemiologic associations, thereby providing further evidence of a relationship and possible points of intervention. Rapid methodologic developments in mediation analyses mean that there are a growing number of approaches for researchers to consider, each with its own set of assumptions, advantages, and disadvantages. This has understandably resulted in some confusion among applied researchers. Here, we provide a brief overview of the mediation methods available and discuss points for consideration when choosing a method. We provide an in-depth explication of 2 of the many potential estimators for illustrative purposes: the Baron and Kenny mediation approach, because it is the most commonly used, and a recently developed approach for estimating stochastic direct and indirect effects, because it relies on far fewer assumptions. We illustrate the decision process and analytical procedure by estimating potential school- and peer-based mechanisms linking neighborhood poverty to adolescent substance use in the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement.

SUBMITTER: Rudolph KE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6395164 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Causal Mediation Analysis With Observational Data: Considerations and Illustration Examining Mechanisms Linking Neighborhood Poverty to Adolescent Substance Use.

Rudolph Kara E KE Goin Dana E DE Paksarian Diana D Crowder Rebecca R Merikangas Kathleen R KR Stuart Elizabeth A EA

American journal of epidemiology 20190301 3

Understanding the mediation mechanisms by which an exposure or intervention affects an outcome can provide a look into what has been called a "black box" of many epidemiologic associations, thereby providing further evidence of a relationship and possible points of intervention. Rapid methodologic developments in mediation analyses mean that there are a growing number of approaches for researchers to consider, each with its own set of assumptions, advantages, and disadvantages. This has understa ...[more]

PMID: 30561500

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundEvidence suggests that aspects of the neighborhood environment may influence risk of problematic drug use among adolescents. Our objective was to examine mediating roles of aspects of the school and peer environments on the effect of receiving a Section 8 housing voucher and using it to move out of public housing on adolescent substance use outcomes.MethodsWe used data from the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) experiment that randomized receipt of a Section 8 housing voucher. Hypothesized mediators included school climate, safety, peer drug use, and participation in an after-school sport or club. We applied a doubly robust, semiparametric estimator to longitudinal MTO data to estimate stochastic direct and indirect effects of randomization on cigarette use, marijuana use, and problematic drug use. Stochastic direct and indirect effects differ from natural direct and indirect effects in that they do not require assuming no posttreatment confounder of the mediator-outcome relationship. Such an assumption would be at odds with any causal model that reflects an intervention affecting a mediator and outcome through adherence to treatment assignment.ResultsHaving friends who use drugs and involvement in after-school sports or clubs partially mediated the effect of housing voucher receipt on adolescent substance use (e.g., stochastic indirect effect 0.45% [95% confidence interval: 0.12%, 0.79%] for having friends who use drugs and 0.04% [95% confidence interval: -0.02%, 0.10%] for involvement in after-school sports or clubs mediating the relationship between housing voucher receipt and marijuana use among boys). However, these mediating effects were small, contributing only fractions of a percent to the effect of voucher receipt on probability of substance use. No school environment variables were mediators.ConclusionsMeasured school- and peer-environment variables played little role in mediating the effect of housing voucher receipt on subsequent adolescent substance use.

Dataset Information

Causal Mediation Analysis With Observational Data: Considerations and Illustration Examining Mechanisms Linking Neighborhood Poverty to Adolescent Substance Use.

Publications

Causal Mediation Analysis With Observational Data: Considerations and Illustration Examining Mechanisms Linking Neighborhood Poverty to Adolescent Substance Use.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets