Maximum likelihood estimation of intraclass correlation in the analysis of familial data: estimating equation approach

Abstract

We introduce a generalized model for estimating intraclass correlation in the analysis of familial data. This model incorporates the models of Donner & Koval (1980), Donner & Bull (1983), Rosner (1984) and Munoz, Rosner & Carey (1986) as special cases. We then obtain a single estimating equation, to be solved iteratively, for the estimation of the intraclass correlation p and discuss all the special cases. Asymptotic variance for the estimate of the inraclass correlation is obtained for all the models and some examples are given.