ESTIMATING STANDARDIZED MORTALITY ODDS RATIOS WITH NATIONAL MORTALITYFOLLOWBACK DATA

Proportionate mortality analyses are often used to study cause-specifi c mortality when population denominators are not available. The purpos e of this paper is to present an extension of published proportionate mortality ratio logistic regression methods used to analyze such data. This paper describes methods used to estimate standardized mortality odds ratios (SMORs) with numerator data and the problems encountered w hen external standard rates are not available for all strata of intere st. This paper focuses on the case where one has representative mortal ity followback data. These data are based on a large, representative s ample of deaths from a defined population for whom numerous covariates about the decedents are collected from surviving family members. With these data, one may use logistic regression methods to generate fully standardized estimates of risk, SMORs, with numerator data. It is als o possible to generate SMORs that allow for effect modification. Morta lity followback data are also a more flexible data source from which o ne may generate substitutes for external standard mortality rate ratio s to be used with previously developed SMOR methods. An application of the methods is provided using logistic regression.