Interval estimation for the difference between independent proportions: comparison of eleven methods

✍ Scribed by Robert G. Newcombe

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 223 KB
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0277-6715
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0258(19980430)17:8<873::aid-sim779>3.0.co;2-i

✦ Synopsis

Several existing unconditional methods for setting confidence intervals for the difference between binomial proportions are evaluated. Computationally simpler methods are prone to a variety of aberrations and poor coverage properties. The closely interrelated methods of Mee and Miettinen and Nurminen perform well but require a computer program. Two new approaches which also avoid aberrations are developed and evaluated. A tail area profile likelihood based method produces the best coverage properties, but is difficult to calculate for large denominators. A method combining Wilson score intervals for the two proportions to be compared also performs well, and is readily implemented irrespective of sample size.