A note on the use of statistical models in epidemiologic research on illicit drug use

This essay aims to stimulate thinking or to remind readers about the shortcomings of standardized regression coefficients and related statistical measures in epidemiologic research on illicit drug use. This is accomplished primarily with a set of examples based on simulated epidemiologic data in which the standardized regression coefficient is shown to co-vary dramatically with frequency of the outcome variable. The basic thrust of this critique of commonly used regression models is not new; it has appeared elsewhere several times. Nevertheless, in epidemiologic research on illicit drug use, there is a continuing use of standardized regression coefficients and other margin-sensitive statistical measures without comment on their shortcomings. Thus, a specific critique with illustrations might have value.