Causal inference through principal stratification: A special type of latent class modelling

Abstract

Principal stratification is an increasingly adopted framework for drawing counterfactual causal inferences in complex situations. After outlining the framework, with special emphasis on the case of truncation by death, I describe an application of the methodology where the analysis is based on a parametric model with latent classes. Then, I discuss the special features of latent class models derived within the principal strata framework. I argue that the concept of principal stratification gives latent class models a solid theoretical basis and helps to solve some specification and fitting issues. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011.