Relationship between mediation analysis and the structured life course approach

Howe, Laura D.; Smith, Andrew D.; Anderson, Emma L.; Lawlor, Debbie A.; Howe, Laura D; Smith, Andrew D. A. C.; Anderson, Emma L; Lawlor, Debbie A; Macdonald-Wallis, Corrie; Galobardes, Bruna; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Hardy, Rebecca; Cooper, Rachel; Tilling, Kate; Fraser, Abigail

doi:10.1093/ije/dyw254

Relationship between mediation analysis and the structured life course approach

Howe, Laura D.; Smith, Andrew D.; Anderson, Emma L.; Lawlor, Debbie A.; Howe, Laura D; Smith, Andrew D. A. C.; Anderson, Emma L; Lawlor, Debbie A; Macdonald-Wallis, Corrie; Galobardes, Bruna; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Hardy, Rebecca; Cooper, Rachel; Tilling, Kate; Fraser, Abigail

Authors

Laura D. Howe

Andrew D. Smith

Emma L. Anderson

Debbie A. Lawlor

Laura D Howe

Dr Andrew Smith Andrew18.Smith@uwe.ac.uk
Associate Professor of Statistics

Emma L Anderson

Debbie A Lawlor

Corrie Macdonald-Wallis

Bruna Galobardes

Yoav Ben-Shlomo

Rebecca Hardy

Rachel Cooper

Kate Tilling

Abigail Fraser

Abstract

© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association. Many questions in life course epidemiology involve mediation and/or interaction because of the long latency period between exposures and outcomes. In this paper, we explore how mediation analysis (based on counterfactual theory and implemented using conventional regression approaches) links with a structured approach to selecting life course hypotheses. Using theory and simulated data, we show how the alternative life course hypotheses assessed in the structured life course approach correspond to different combinations of mediation and interaction parameters. For example, an early life critical period model corresponds to a direct effect of the early life exposure, but no indirect effect via the mediator and no interaction between the early life exposure and the mediator. We also compare these methods using an illustrative real-data example using data on parental occupational social class (early life exposure), own adult occupational social class (mediator) and physical capability (outcome).

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Aug 10, 2016
Publication Date	Jan 1, 2016
Deposit Date	Sep 30, 2016
Publicly Available Date	Sep 30, 2016
Journal	International Journal of Epidemiology
Print ISSN	0300-5771
Electronic ISSN	1464-3685
Publisher	Oxford University Press (OUP)
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	45
Issue	4
Pages	1280-1294
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw254
Keywords	mediation, life course
Public URL	https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/908478
Publisher URL	http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw254
Contract Date	Sep 30, 2016