Cox A, Rutter M, Yule B, Quinton D
Br J Prev Soc Med. 1977 Jun;31(2):131-6. doi: 10.1136/jech.31.2.131.
The biases resulting from missing information were examined in three psychiatric epidemiological studies. In each study, cases with missing information could be compared with the main sample because data were available from several sources or at several points in time through a longitudinal study. In almost all instances, cases with missing data differed systematically in terms of variables crucial to the questions being studied. In general, they tended to include a higher proportion with problems of various kinds--such as, behavioural deviance, reading backwardness, child or adult psychiatric disorder, and marital discord. The characteristics or circumstances of those giving information were generally more strongly associated with co-operation in testing or interviewing than the characteristics of those about whom information was sought. In some situations, the nature and degree of distortion resulting from missing information could lead to biased results.
在三项精神科流行病学研究中，对因信息缺失导致的偏差进行了考察。在每项研究中，有缺失信息的病例可与主要样本进行比较，因为通过纵向研究可从多个来源或在多个时间点获取数据。几乎在所有情况下，有缺失数据的病例在对所研究问题至关重要的变量方面存在系统性差异。一般来说，他们往往包含更高比例存在各类问题的人，如行为偏差、阅读落后、儿童或成人精神障碍以及婚姻不和。提供信息者的特征或情况通常比被调查者的特征与测试或访谈中的合作关联更强。在某些情况下，因信息缺失导致的偏差的性质和程度可能会导致结果出现偏差。
