pred_fun_cov function

Fit Covariate Models

This internal function fits a model for each covariate using the observed data.

pred_fun_cov(
  covparams,
  covnames,
  covtypes,
  covfits_custom,
  restrictions,
  time_name,
  obs_data,
  model_fits
)

Arguments

• covparams: List of vectors, where each vector contains information for one parameter used in the modeling of the time-varying covariates (e.g., model statement, family, link function, etc.). Each vector must be the same length as covnames and in the same order.

• covnames: Vector of character strings specifying the names of the time-varying covariates in obs_data.

• covtypes: Vector of character strings specifying the "type" of each time-varying covariate included in covnames. The possible "types" are: "binary", "normal", "categorical", "bounded normal", "zero-inflated normal", "truncated normal", "absorbing", "categorical time", and "custom".

• covfits_custom: Vector containing custom fit functions for time-varying covariates that do not fall within the pre-defined covariate types. It should be in the same order covnames. If a custom fit function is not required for a particular covariate (e.g., if the first covariate is of type "binary" but the second is of type "custom"), then that index should be set to NA.

• restrictions: List of vectors. Each vector contains as its first entry a covariate for which a priori knowledge of its distribution is available; its second entry a condition under which no knowledge of its distribution is available and that must be TRUE

  for the distribution of that covariate given that condition to be estimated via a parametric model or other fitting procedure; its third entry a function for estimating the distribution of that covariate given the condition in the second entry is false such that a priori knowledge of the covariate distribution is available; and its fourth entry a value used by the function in the third entry. The default is NA.

• time_name: Character string specifying the name of the time variable in obs_data.

• obs_data: Data on which the models are fit.

• model_fits: Logical scalar indicating whether to return the fitted models. The default is FALSE.

Returns

A list of fitted models, one for each covariate in covnames.