Multivariable regression models are of fundamental importance in all areas of science in which empirical data must be analyzed. This book proposes a systematic approach to building such models based on standard principles of statistical modeling. The main emphasis is on the fractional polynomial method for modeling the influence of continuous variables in a multivariable context, a topic for which there is no standard approach. Existing options range from very simple step functions to highly complex adaptive methods such as multivariate splines with many knots and penalisation. This new approach, developed in part by the authors over the last decade, is a compromise which promotes interpretable, comprehensible and transportable models.

About the Author
Patrick Royston DSc, is a senior statistician and cancer clinical realist at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, London, an honorary professor of statistics at University College London and a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. he has authored many research papers in biostatistics, and has published over 150 articles in leading statistical journals. Patrick is an experienced statistical consultant, Stata programmer and software author.

Willi Sauerbrei PhD, is a senior statistician and professor in medical biometry at the IMBI, University Medical Center Freiburg. He has authored many research papers in biostatistics and has published over 100 articles in leading statistical and clinical journals. He worked for more than two decades as an academic biostatistician and has extensive experience of cancer research, with a particular concern for breast cancer.

Reviews

"This new approach, developed in part by the authors over the last decade, is a compromise which promotes interpretable, comprehensible and transportable models." (Zentralblatt Math, 1 October 2013)

"The book is very useful for practicing statisticians and can also be recommended for teaching purposes." (Biometrical Journal, July 2009)

"It is an excellent book on multivariable model-building, presenting the material in an easy-to-understand and informal style." (Mathematical Reviews, 2009)

"This excellent book fills a gap in the current literature on statistical modelling. It is the first time that a book is devoted to the whole breadth of application of fractional polynomials. The authors are the experts on this useful methodology." (Statistics in Medicine, Feb 2009)

Book Information
ISBN 9780470028421
Author Patrick Royston
Format Hardback
Page Count 328
Imprint John Wiley & Sons Inc
Publisher John Wiley & Sons Inc
Weight(grams) 689g
Dimensions(mm) 252mm * 177mm * 24mm