Estimating the stillbirth rate for 195 countries using a Bayesian sparse regression model with temporal smoothing
Zhengfan Wang, Miranda J. Fix, Lucia Hug, Anu Mishra, Danzhen You, Hannah Blencowe, Jon Wakefield, Leontine Alkema
The Annals of Applied Statistics · 2022 · Volume 16 · Issue 4
Abstract
Estimation of stillbirth rates globally is complicated because of the paucity of reliable data from countries where most stillbirths occur. We compiled data and developed a Bayesian hierarchical temporal sparse regression model for estimating stillbirth rates for 195 countries from 2000 to 2019. The model combines covariates with a temporal smoothing process so that estimates are data-driven in country-periods with high-quality data and determined by covariates for country-periods with limited or no data. Horseshoe priors are used to encourage sparseness. The model adjusts observations with alternative stillbirth definitions and accounts for various sources of uncertainty. In-sample goodness of fit and out-of-sample validation results suggest that the model is reasonably well calibrated. The model is used by the UN Interagency Group for Child Mortality Estimation to monitor the stillbirth rate for 195 countries.
Keywords
Bayesian hierarchical model, Bayesian sparsity, time-series analysis
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