Analysis of Recurrent Event Data

Abstract

This chapter describes non- and semiparametric methods of analyzing recurrent event data. It focuses on the functions that are modeled in the analysis of recurrent event data. Recurrent event data are often encountered in biomedicine (e.g., opportunistic infections among AIDS patients), demography (e.g., birth patterns among woman of child-bearing age), and quality control (e.g., automobile repairs). The data structure for recurrent events represents a special case of multivariate survival data, where the failure times for a subject are ordered. As such, recurrent event data have often been analyzed using methods of multivariate survival analysis. Semiparametric regression methods are described in the chapter, with special attention given to elucidating the sometimes subtle differences between the methods, with respect to interpretation of parameter estimates. The methods are also illustrated using an example analysis of a preschool asthma data set.