Introduction to multiple imputation for dealing with missing data

Abstract

Missing data are common in both observational and experimental studies. Multiple imputation (MI) is a two-stage approach where missing values are imputed a number of times using a statistical model based on the available data and then inference is combined across the completed datasets. This approach is becoming increasingly popular for handling missing data. In this paper, we introduce the method of MI, as well as a discussion surrounding when MI can be a useful method for handling missing data and the drawbacks of this approach. We illustrate MI when exploring the association between current asthma status and forced expiratory volume in 1 s after adjustment for potential confounders using data from a population-based longitudinal cohort study. © 2013 The Authors. Respirology © 2013 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.