Small Area Estimation via Multivariate Fay–Herriot Models with Latent Spatial Dependence

The Fay–Herriot model is a standard model for direct survey estimators in which the true quantity of interest, the superpopulation mean, is latent and its estimation is improved through the use of auxiliary covariates. In the context of small area estimation, these estimates can be further improved by borrowing strength across spatial regions or by considering multiple outcomes simultaneously. We provide here two formulations to perform small area estimation with Fay–Herriot models that include both multivariate outcomes and latent spatial dependence. We consider two model formulations. In one of these formulations the outcome‐by‐space dependence structure is separable. The other accounts for the cross dependence through the use of a generalized multivariate conditional autoregressive (GMCAR) structure. The GMCAR model is shown, in a state‐level example, to produce smaller mean square prediction errors, relative to equivalent census variables, than the separable model and the state‐of‐the‐art multivariate model with unstructured dependence between outcomes and no spatial dependence. In addition, both the GMCAR and the separable models give smaller mean squared prediction error than the state‐of‐the‐art model when conducting small area estimation on county level data from the American Community Survey.     

On Prediction for Correlated Domains in Longitudinal Surveys

In the survey sampling estimation or prediction of both population’s and subopulation’s (domain’s) characteristics is one of the key issues. In the case of the estimation or prediction of domain’s characteristics one of the problems is looking for additional sources of information that can be used to increase the accuracy of estimators or predictors. One of these sources may be spatial and temporal autocorrelation. Due to the mean squared error (MSE) estimation, the standard assumption is that random variables are independent for population elements from different domains. If the assumption is taken into account, spatial correlation may be assumed only inside domains. In the paper, we assume some special case of the linear mixed model with two random components that obey assumptions of the first-order spatial autoregressive model SAR(1) (but inside groups of domains instead of domains) and first-order temporal autoregressive model AR(1). Based on the model, the empirical best linear unbiased predictor will be proposed together with an estimator of its MSE taking the spatial correlation between domains into account.     

On Sample Allocation in Multivariate Surveys

The problem of a sample allocation between strata in the case of multiparameter surveys is considered in this article. There are several multivariate sample allocation methods and, moreover, several criteria to deal with in such a case. A maximum coefficient of variation of estimators of the population mean of characters under study is taken as the optimality criterion. This article contains a study on a group of the methods that are easy to implement and do not need complex numerical computation; however, they all are approximate. Five such methods are presented and compared using a simulation study. Finally, it is shown which methods should be considered when designing a survey in which the multivariate sample allocation is to be involved.     

多主题抽样调查中改进估计方法的研究

多主题抽样调查在实际统计工作中非常普遍,即一项调查同时涉及两个或多个目标变量(指标),对总体的推算也需要同时对这两个或多个指标进行估计.通常同一调查中的多个目标变量之间会具有相关性,利用这一信息可以提高对所关注调查指标的估计精度.本文利用多重多元线性模型的方法研究这一问题,讨论了最佳线性模型无偏估计和一般回归估计,可以看到借助调查指标之间的相关性,较之常用的单个响应变量的多元线性回归模型方法,得到的最佳线性模型无偏估计和一般回归估计都可以有效地提高对总体总量的估计精度,本文的数值模拟和实例分析也验证了这一结论.     

Regression Coefficient Estimation in Dual Frame Surveys

Dual frame surveys, in which independent samples are selected from two frames to decrease survey costs or to improve coverage, can present challenges for regression coefficient estimation because of complex designs and unknown degree of overlap. In this research, we developed four regression coefficient estimators in dual frame surveys. Simulation results show that all the proposed methods work well.     

连续性抽样调查中的样本轮换研究

 内容摘要：本文首先介?绍了样本轮换研究问题提出的背景和国内外研究现状。接着介绍了分层抽样下样本轮换的理论模型。包括分层抽样下样本轮换的估计量公式和最优样本轮换率的确定方法。再接着利用前面介绍的理论知识,结合上海市城镇住房空置率抽样调查数据进行实证分析。由于该抽样调查采取的是分层抽样,因此相应地用分层抽样下的样本轮换研究。先根据该抽样调查本身的特点和社会经济活动的规律确定样本轮换时间间隔为1年。再分别计算出各层的最优样本轮换率和总体的样本轮换率。最后分别对三层子总体样本轮换的效果进行分析,分析发现各层经过样本轮换以后的精度比不进行样本轮换或进行完全样本轮换的精度有了明显的提高,轮换效果显著。     

Energy Use in Institutional Buildings: Estimates From State Energy-Audit Surveys

This article examines the determinants of energy demand for nearly 9,000 institutional buildings in the United States. The data were collected, as part of the federal Institutional Conservation Program, by state energy offices using mail surveys. The article presents energy demand estimates adjusted for differences in state surveys as well as for nonresponse bias, as functions of energy prices, building characteristics, and fuel-type variables for approximations of the installed heating ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. Energy price elasticities are found to vary from ?.28 for schools to ?1.05 for hospitals.     

历次全国中青年统计科学研讨会的考察与认知

 本文以求实的态度,对历次全国中青年统计科学研讨会进行了详细的回顾与考察,并根据会议的主题和研究成果,分析了中国统计科学在不同发展阶段的具体情况。在此基础上,对中青年统计科学研讨会的发展过程进行了深层思考和认知,进一步明确了中青年统计工作者的发展方向,及面临的挑战。     

Generalised Variance Function Estimation for Binary Variables in Large‐Scale Sample Surveys

Generalised variance function (GVF) models are data analysis techniques often used in large‐scale sample surveys to approximate the design variance of point estimators for population means and proportions. Some potential advantages of the GVF approach include operational simplicity, more stable sampling errors estimates and providing a convenient method of summarising results when a high number of survey variables is considered. In this paper, several parametric and nonparametric methods for GVF estimation with binary variables are proposed and compared. The behavior of these estimators is analysed under heteroscedasticity and in the presence of outliers and influential observations. An empirical study based on the annual survey of living conditions in Galicia (a region in the northwest of Spain) illustrates the behaviour of the proposed estimators.     

Optimal Estimation of a Finite Population Total Under Randomized Response Surveys

Problems of estimation of a finite population total of a variable of sensitive in nature are studied under randomized response (RR) surveys. Some optimal sampling strategies are presented under different superpopulation models.     

人口普查净误差构成部分的估计

 人口普查误差,即普查登记人数与“人口数真值”之差,也叫净误差,实际上是普查遗漏人数抵消普查错误计数人数的结果。净误差掩盖了人口普查中所发生的错误计数和遗漏这两个方面的错误的真实情况。美国普查局决定,在2010年人口普查的事后质量检查中,除了像以往一样继续估计净误差之外,还将估计错误计数人数和遗漏人数。这是对人口普查事后质量检查工作的一项重大改进。本文在解读有关文献的基础上,讨论了估计错误计数人数和遗漏人数的途径、数据准备以及抽样估计的有关问题。     

Effects of Rotation Group Bias on Estimation of Unemployment

Previous analysis of rotation group bias in the Current Population Survey has concluded that if the biases are additive, the ratio and composite estimators of month-to-month change in unemployment are unbiased. This article shows that if the biases contain a multiplicative aspect, both estimators of change are then biased. The article also presents some empirical results that cast doubt on the validity of a purely additive model.     

Demand Systems Estimation With Microdata: A Censored Regression Approach

Demand systems estimation increasingly makes use of household-level microdata, mainly to measure the effects of demographic variables. Data based on these household-expenditure surveys present a major estimation problem. For any given household, many of the goods have zero consumption, implying a censored dependent variable. Techniques which do not take this censored dependent variable into account will yield biased results. We utilize a censored regression approach that is computationally simple, consistent, and asymptotically efficient. The results are then presented and compared with those obtained using an uncensored technique.     

Small Area Estimation Using Estimated Population Level Auxiliary Data

Unit level linear mixed models are often used in small area estimation (SAE), and the empirical best linear unbiased prediction (EBLUP) is widely used for the estimation of small area means under such models. However, EBLUP requires population level auxiliary data, atleast area specific aggregated values. Sometimes population level auxiliary data is either not available or not consistent with the survey data. We describe a SAE method that uses estimated population auxiliary information. Empirical results show that proposed method for SAE produces an efficient set of small area estimates.     

关于人口统计调查方法体系存在的问题和改革设想

我国现行的人口统计调查方法体系是“以经常性的人口抽样调查为主体,以人口普查为基础,重点调查等为补充的多种方法的运用”,但随着经济社会的快速发展,“以普查为基础,经常性抽样调查为主体"的人口统计调查方法体系,与政府、社会对人口信息多层次、精细化、时效性的需求变得不适应,在实践中显露出矛盾和问题。本文以下将对当前人口普查和人口变动情况抽样调查,在人口统计中作用和存在问题做出分析,在此基础上提出人口统计的改革设想,并落实到具体的解决办法,以2020年第七次人口普查为契机,建立《人口统计与管理服务数据平台》,并结合社区网格化管理进行年度更新,取得年度全国、省级及省级以下的常住人口数据;同时改革人口抽样调查的内容,结合手机信令大数据在人口统计中的应用,完善人口统计调查方法体系。     

Spatial and non-spatial model-based protection procedures for the release of business microdata

In this paper we discuss methodology for the safe release of business microdata. In particular we extend the model-based protection procedure of Franconi and Stander (2002, The Statistician 51: 1–11) by allowing the model to take account of the spatial structure underlying the geographical information in the microdata. We discuss the use of the Gibbs sampler for performing the computations required by this spatial approach. We provide an empirical comparison of these non-spatial and spatial disclosure limitation methods based on the Italian sample from the Community Innovation Survey. We quantify the level of protection achieved for the released microdata and the error induced when various inferences are performed. We find that although the spatial method often induces higher inferential errors, it almost always provides more protection. Moreover the aggregated areas from the spatial procedure can be somewhat more spatially smooth, and hence possibly more meaningful, than those from the non-spatial approach. We discuss possible applications of these model-based protection procedures to more spatially extensive data sets.     

Using a mixture model for multiple imputation in the presence of outliers: the 'Healthy for life' project

Summary.  We consider the problem of obtaining population-based inference in the presence of missing data and outliers in the context of estimating the prevalence of obesity and body mass index measures from the 'Healthy for life' study. Identifying multiple outliers in a multivariate setting is problematic because of problems such as masking, in which groups of outliers inflate the covariance matrix in a fashion that prevents their identification when included, and swamping, in which outliers skew covariances in a fashion that makes non-outlying observations appear to be outliers. We develop a latent class model that assumes that each observation belongs to one of K unobserved latent classes, with each latent class having a distinct covariance matrix. We consider the latent class covariance matrix with the largest determinant to form an 'outlier class'. By separating the covariance matrix for the outliers from the covariance matrices for the remainder of the data, we avoid the problems of masking and swamping. As did Ghosh-Dastidar and Schafer, we use a multiple-imputation approach, which allows us simultaneously to conduct inference after removing cases that appear to be outliers and to promulgate uncertainty in the outlier status through the model inference. We extend the work of Ghosh-Dastidar and Schafer by embedding the outlier class in a larger mixture model, consider penalized likelihood and posterior predictive distributions to assess model choice and model fit, and develop the model in a fashion to account for the complex sample design. We also consider the repeated sampling properties of the multiple imputation removal of outliers.     

中国广义回归抽样估计系统的构建及应用

在抽样理论和应用研究方面,中国一直比较重视抽样方案设计,而忽视抽样估计方法研究。本文在系统总结加拿大等西方国家成功经验的基础上,引入并改进了一套广义回归估计系统,应用在复杂的连续多阶抽样调查中。本文以各类常见的抽样设计为基础,通过模型组和模型水平将现有的超总体模型进行扩展,建立各种类型的回归模型进行模型辅助的广义回归估计,最终形成一套广义回归估计系统,为中国抽样估计的应用研究奠定理论基础。最后,本文以中国农产量的连续多阶抽样调查为例,给出了具体的回归估计程序,从而验证这套系统的实践性和应用价值。     

基于卡尔曼滤波估计的连续性抽样调查研究

 针对连续性抽样调查中如何提高连续调查数据准确性的问题,本文引入时间序列分析方法,分别考虑连续性抽样调查中的重复样本和轮换样本等不同情况,建立了连续性抽样调查下的状态空间模型,利用成熟的卡尔曼滤波估计方法给出了总体均值的估计量。由于状态空间模型及卡尔曼滤波估计方法能够充分利用各期连续样本的调查信息,给出了精度更高的估计量,从而能够产生更加准确的连续性时间序列数据。