Latent class models have become a popular means of summarizing survey questionnaires and other large sets of categorical variables. Often these classes are of primary interest to better understand complex patterns in data. Increasingly, these latent classes are reified into predictors of other outcomes of interests, treating the most likely class as the true class… Continue reading Methods to Account for Uncertainty in Latent Class Assignments When Using Latent Classes as Predictors in Regression Models, with Application to Acculturation Strategy Measures

IntroductionIdentification of modifiable risk factors for suicidal behaviors is a priority for the U.S. Army. This study investigated associations of nicotine dependence with suicidal behaviors among incoming soldiers. Methods Lifetime DSM-IV nicotine dependence, mental disorders, suicidal behaviors, and their ages of onset were retrospectively assessed in the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in… Continue reading Nicotine Dependence and Pre-Enlistment Suicidal Behavior Among U.S. Army Soldiers

Many genetic loci affect circulating lipid levels, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, modify these genetic effects. To identify lipid loci interacting with physical activity, we performed genome-wide analyses of circulating HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in up to 120,979 individuals of European, African, Asian, Hispanic, and Brazilian… Continue reading Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity