Ipop: Moran's I adjusted for population size

  • spatial
  • global
  • region-based
  • Indications/Recommendations for use: Nearby areas tend to have similar disease rates when their populations and exposures are alike. When rates in connected areas are similar Ipop will be large, when rates in connected areas are different Ipop will be small (more).
    Description: A test for spatial autocorrelation in disease rates that accounts for geographic variation in population size. Ipop is used to detect departures from spatial randomness, but, unlike Moran's I, it accounts for differences in population size across areas. If ignored, large differences in population size decrease the ability of Moran's I to detect departures from spatial randomness. This may cause one to fail to identify a true cluster.
    Test statistic: Ipop is a spatial autocorrelation coefficient adjusted for the size of the population at risk. Large values of Ipop indicate positive spatial autocorrelation; small value indicate negative spatial autocorrelation.
    Null Hypothesis: Disease rates in connected areas are independent.
    Alternative Hypothesis: Disease rates in connected areas are not independent.
    GeoMed Inputs: A Ipop data file containing population sizes and disease rates, and a link file assigning connection weights to locality pairs. Ipop requires an Ipop data file, a link file and the number of runs.
    GeoMed Outputs:
    • Ipop, Ipop', E[Ipop]
    • Variance and significance under randomization assumption, approximation, and simulation
    • Plot of frequency distribution of Ipop obtained under simulation
    Example Analysis Reference: Oden, Neal (1995). Adjusting Moran's I for Population Density, Statistics in Medicine, 14, pp. 17-26.

    Website maintained by Andy Long. Comments appreciated.
    longa@nku.edu