THE EFFECT ON THE STRATUM-SPECIFIC ODDS RATIOS OF NONDIFFERENTIAL MISCLASSIFICATION OF A DICHOTOMOUS COVARIATE

Precise measurement of confounding or effect modifying variables is seldom possible. Nondifferential misclassification of such a variable can introduce bias in the odds ratios within the strata of the confounding variable. For two strata, the effect on the odds ratios is dependent on separate measures of the degree of nondifferential misclassification of the confounding variable. The authors investigate the bias in the stratum-specific odds ratios from nondifferential misclassification of a confounder in a case-control study, and show how estimates of the true stratum-specific odds ratios can be derived. For one stratum, the degree of bias introduced in the odds ratio is dependent only on the sensitivity of the measure of the confounding variable while only the specificity of this measure determines the bias introduced in the other stratum-specific odds ratio. The results are applied to a case-control study of fenoterol prescription and asthma death.