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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

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Authors

Laura D. Howe

Andrew D. Smith

Emma L. Anderson

Debbie A. Lawlor

Laura D Howe

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).

Citation

Lawlor, D. A., Anderson, E. L., Smith, A. D., Howe, L. D., Howe, L. D., Smith, A. D. A. C., …Fraser, A. (2016). Relationship between mediation analysis and the structured life course approach. International Journal of Epidemiology, 45(4), 1280-1294. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw254

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Aug 10, 2016
Publication Date Jan 1, 2016
Deposit Date Sep 30, 2016
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
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