| There are several solutions for analysis of clustered binary data. However, the two most common tools in use today, generalized estimating equations and random effects or mixed models, rely heavily on asymptotic theory. However, in many situations, such as small or sparse samples, asymptotic assumptions may not be met. For this reason we explore the utility of the quadratic exponential model and conditional analysis to estimate the effect size of a trend parameter in small sample and sparse data settings. Further we explore the computational efficiency of two methods for conducting conditional analysis, the network algorithm and Markov chain Monte Carlo. Our findings indicate that conditional estimates do indeed outperform their unconditional maximum likelihood counterparts. The network algorithm remains the fastest tool for generating the required conditional distribution. However, for large samples, the Markov chain Monte Carlo approach accurately estimates the conditional distribution and is more efficient than the network algorithm. |
