A Spatial Logistic Regression Model Based on a Valid Skew-Gaussian Latent Field

Logistic regression is commonly used to estimate the association of one (or more) independent variable(s) with a binary- dependent outcome. In many applications latent sources are both spatially dependent and non-Gaussian; thus, it is desirable to exploit both properties jointly. Spatial logistic regression is a well-established technique of including spatial dependence in logistic regression models. In this paper, we develop a spatial logistic regression model based on a valid skew-Gaussian random field. For parameter estimation, we use a Monte Carlo extension of the EM algorithm along with an approximation based on the standard logistic function. A simulation study is applied in order to determine the performance of the proposed model and also to compare the results with a recently introduced model with established efficiency. The identifiability of the parameters is investigated as well. As an illustrative purpose, an application to the Meuse heavy metals dataset is presented.