Maximum likelihood estimation of intraclass correlation in the analysis of familial data: Estimating equation approach

Abstract

We introduce a generalized model for estimating intraclass correlation in the analysis of familial data. This model incorporates the models of Donner & Koval (1980), Donner & Bull (1983), Rosner (1984) and Münoz, Rosner & Carey (1986) as special cases. We then obtain the maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters of the model. In particular we obtain a single estimating equation, to be solved iteratively, for the estimation of the intraclass correlation p and discuss all the special cases. Asymptotic variance for the estimate of the intraclass correlation is obtained for all the models and some examples are given.