Random effects models for longitudinal data from complex samples

Longitudinal studies with repeated observations on individuals permit better characterizations of change and assessment of possible risk factors, but there has been little experience applying sophisticated models for longitudinal data to the complex survey setting. We present results from a comparison of different variance estimation methods for random effects models of change in cognitive function among older adults. The sample design is a stratified sample of people 65 and older, drawn as part of a community-based study designed to examine risk factors for dementia. The model summarizes the population heterogeneity in overall level and rate of change in cognitive function using random effects for intercept and slope. We discuss an unweighted regression including covariates for the stratification variables, a weighted regression, and bootstrapping; we also did preliminary work into using balanced repeated replication and jackknife repeated replication.