Jackknife model averaging for linear regression models with missing responses

Abstract

We consider model averaging estimation problem in the linear regression model with missing response data, that allows for model misspecification. Based on the ‘complete’ data set for the response variable after inverse propensity score weighted imputation, we construct a leave-one-out cross-validation criterion for allocating model weights, where the propensity score model is estimated by the covariate balancing propensity score method. We derive some theoretical results to justify the proposed strategy. Firstly, when all candidate outcome regression models are misspecified, our procedures are proved to achieve optimality in terms of asymptotically minimizing the squared loss. Secondly, when the true outcome regression model is among the set of candidate models, the resulting model averaging estimators of the regression parameters are shown to be root-n consistent. Simulation studies provide evidence of the superiority of our methods over other existing model averaging methods, even when the propensity score model is misspecified. As an illustration, the approach is further applied to study the CD4 data.