Gaussian copula joint models for mixed longitudinal zero-inflated count and continuous responses

Abstract

Gaussian copula joint models for mixed correlated longitudinal continuous and count responses with random effects are presented where the count responses have zero-inflated power series distribution. To account for associations between zero-inflated count and continuous responses, we use the Gaussian copula to indirectly specify their joint distributions. A full likelihood-based approach is applied to obtain IFM method to estimate marginal parameters marginally and share parameters jointly. In this method, we used the Monte Carlo EM algorithm to obtain the parameter estimates of Gaussian copula joint models. To illustrate the utility of the models, some simulation studies are performed. Finally, the proposed models are motivated by applying a medical data set. The data set is extracted from an observational study where the correlated responses are the continuous response of body mass index and the power series response of the number of joint damages.