Ordinal Logistic Regression in Medical Research

Abstract

Medical research workers are making increasing use of logistic regression analysis for binary and ordinal data. The purpose of this paper is to give a non-technical introduction to logistic regression models for ordinal response variables. We address issues such as the global concept and interpretation of logistic models, the model building procedure from a practical point of view, and the assessment of the model adequacy. For illustrative purposes we apply these methods to real data of a study investigating the association between glycosylated haemoglobin and retinopathy. We give some recommendations for the use and assessment of ordinal logistic regression models in medical research.