Box–Cox symmetric distributions and applications to nutritional data

Abstract

We introduce and study the Box–Cox symmetric class of distributions, which is useful for modeling positively skewed, possibly heavy-tailed, data. The new class of distributions includes the Box–Cox t, Box–Cox Cole-Green (or Box–Cox normal), Box–Cox power exponential distributions, and the class of the log-symmetric distributions as special cases. It provides easy parameter interpretation, which makes it convenient for regression modeling purposes. Additionally, it provides enough flexibility to handle outliers. The usefulness of the Box–Cox symmetric models is illustrated in a series of applications to nutritional data.