Joint GEEs for multivariate correlated data with incomplete binary outcomes

This study considers a fully-parametric but uncongenial multiple imputation (MI) inference to jointly analyze incomplete binary response variables observed in a correlated data settings. Multiple imputation model is specified as a fully-parametric model based on a multivariate extension of mixed-effects models. Dichotomized imputed datasets are then analyzed using joint GEE models where covariates are associated with the marginal mean of responses with response-specific regression coefficients and a Kronecker product is accommodated for cluster-specific correlation structure for a given response variable and correlation structure between multiple response variables. The validity of the proposed MI-based JGEE (MI-JGEE) approach is assessed through a Monte Carlo simulation study under different scenarios. The simulation results, which are evaluated in terms of bias, mean-squared error, and coverage rate, show that MI-JGEE has promising inferential properties even when the underlying multiple imputation is misspecified. Finally, Adolescent Alcohol Prevention Trial data are used for illustration.     

Long live Fenerbahçe: The production boosting effects of football

The connection between Turkish industrial production performance and the success of a popular Turkish football team, namely Fenerbahçe, is the central theme of this article. The success of Fenerbahçe is interpreted as a proxy for the workers’ mood or morale. Performing a transfer function analysis on our monthly data set, we reveal positive feedback from Fenerbahçe’s success, which proxies workers’ mood/morale, to economic performance such that the monthly industrial growth rate increases by 0.26% with the number of games won by Fenerbahçe in European cups regardless of where the game is played. Evidence of the effects of games against domestic rivals on industrial performance is not statistically significant.     

Do Muslims See Australia as Their Homeland? The Notion of watan al-asli and watan al-sukna in Islam

Abstract

The concept of “country” or homeland in Islam was defined by Muslim jurists in the eighth century in the light of the sacred text. They set three categories: watan al-asli, the country of birth, the country of one's spouse or the place of permanent residence; watan al-sukna, the country of temporary residence and employment; and watan al-safari, the country that is traveled to. Accordingly, for Muslims immigrating to Australia, their new country falls into one of these categories. Muslim contact with Australia stretches back centuries. However, although early Muslims arrived on Australian shores before Europeans, they did not settle. It was not until the late 1960s, when Muslims came in mass immigration, that permanent communities were established. Since then, particularly over the last two decades, Muslims have become gradually more visible. This increase in prominence has raised anxiety from some segments of the Australian community. There are groups who view Islam as an obstacle for integration. The loyalty of Muslims to Australia is being debated, discussed and questioned by some intellectuals, politicians, media and other Australians with little or no knowledge of the Islamic theological perspective of the “notion of country”. In this article, I will argue that the “notion of country”, a concept of which even the majority of Muslims are not aware, supports integration. This article will also explore the concept of “homeland” in Islamic theology and jurisprudence and discuss the findings of a survey on Muslims’ views about Australia as home.     

Number of siblings and personality: Evidence among eighth graders from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K)

Most prior sociological research on siblings explores their effects on educational, cognitive and social outcomes. This study focuses on personality traits and extends its scope to early adolescence. Using the eighth-grade data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), it tests the relationship between number of siblings and three personality traits: internalizing problem behavior, self-concept, and locus of control. The results suggest that sibship size has only a modest effect on personality traits among early adolescents. Specifically, only those adolescents who have at least four siblings are found to have significantly worse internalizing problem behaviors, worse self-concept, and worse locus of control compared to only children. In addition, this study finds little evidence that adolescents benefit more from sisters than brothers. Lastly, compared to having older siblings, having younger siblings is more beneficial for personality traits in predicting self-concept and locus of control.     

Impact of the non-distinctness and non-ignorability on the inference by multiple imputation in multivariate multilevel data: a simulation assessment

Multiple imputation (MI) is an increasingly popular method for analysing incomplete multivariate data sets. One of the most crucial assumptions of this method relates to mechanism leading to missing data. Distinctness is typically assumed, which indicates a complete independence of mechanisms underlying missingness and data generation. In addition, missing at random or missing completely at random is assumed, which explicitly states under which conditions missingness is independent of observed data. Despite common use of MI under these assumptions, plausibility and sensitivity to these fundamental assumptions have not been well-investigated. In this work, we investigate the impact of non-distinctness and non-ignorability. In particular, non-ignorability is due to unobservable cluster-specific effects (e.g. random-effects). Through a comprehensive simulation study, we show that MI inferences suggest that nonignoriability due to non-distinctness do not immediately imply dismal performance while non-ignorability due to missing not at random leads to quite subpar performance.     

Work–Family Conflict,Job Insecurity,and Health Outcomes Among US Workers

Previous scholarship has highlighted how work–family conflict (work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict) and job insecurity interfere with health outcomes. Little work, however, considers how these stressors jointly influence health among workers. Informed by the stress process model, the current study examines whether job insecurity moderates the relationships between work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict and two health outcomes: self-reported physical health and poor mental health. The analyses also consider whether a greater moderating role is played by work-to-family conflict or family-to-work conflict. Using data from the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce, we also examine if patterns diverge by gender. Our results show that work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict have direct effects on poor mental and physical health. Additionally, we find that the negative effect of work-to-family conflict on poor mental and physical health is stronger for those with job insecurity, while no such relationship was found for family-to-work conflict. We found no evidence of significant gender differences in how these relationships operate. Overall, we contribute to the literature by testing the combined effects of both forms of work–family conflict and job insecurity on poor mental and physical health. We also deepen the understanding of the stress process model by highlighting the salience of the anticipatory stressor of job insecurity.