The Check Mark Pattern

Abstract

We exhibit two studies (one epidemiological and one clinical), both with apparently paradoxical findings characterized by group (index versus control) similarity on the dependent (health) variable (Y) means, a significant group difference on the independent variable (X) means (index mean greater than the control mean) and a positive correlation between Y and X in the index group, causing index subjects with low values of X to have a lower Y mean than the controls and index subjects having high values of X to have a higher Y mean than the controls. This pattern has been called the "check mark" pattern. We predict this pattern using a linear model and use the model to estimate exposure effects in the epidemiologic study. Additionally, we show that a previously published study of the check mark pattern suggesting reverse causation is incorrect.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA451631

Entities

People

  • Gary Henriksen
  • I. J. Russell
  • Joel E. Michalek
  • Pandu Kulkarni
  • Ram C. Tripathi
  • Suojin Wang

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agent Orange
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Amino Acids
  • Brain
  • Coefficients
  • Computer Science
  • Data Science
  • Medical Personnel
  • Muscular Diseases
  • Neurons
  • Pain
  • Peptides
  • Spinal Cord
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Statistics
  • Universities

Readers

  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Nanofabrication and Microfabrication.
  • Women's Health and Cancer Risk Research: African American Women and Pregnancy Outcomes.