[R-meta] Partial residual plots and meta-analysis

[Cesar Terrer Moreno]

Hi Wolfgang,

Many thanks, I like this approach too.

One minor question: when I try to plot the result in ggplot, it complains about the class of the output from pred:

MAPpred <- predict(ECM, newmods=cbind(645:1750, mean(ecmdat$MAT), 300,  mean(ecmdat$MAT) * 300),  addx = T)

ggplot(MAPpred, aes(X[,"MAP"], make_pct(pred))) + …

Error: ggplot2 doesn't know how to deal with data of class list.rma

I tried to do “as.data.frame”, but it doesn’t work. Any suggestion?
Thanks
César

> On 14 Jul 2017, at 17:42, Viechtbauer Wolfgang (SP) <wolfgang.viechtbauer at maastrichtuniversity.nl> wrote:
> 
> Hi César,
> 
> To show how the expected value of 'es' changes as a function of a moderator, just use the predict() function, computing predicted values for varying values of the moderator. An example for the simplest case (with a single moderator) is shown here:
> 
> http://www.metafor-project.org/doku.php/plots:meta_analytic_scatterplot
> 
> In models with multiple moderators, you can do the same thing. "Taking into account the effect of the rest of the moderators" simply means that you hold the other moderators constant. A common practice is to hold continuous moderators constant at their mean (although one can choose any other sensible value). Using the same example but with two moderators:
> 
> library(metafor)
> dat <- escalc(measure="RR", ai=tpos, bi=tneg, ci=cpos, di=cneg, data=dat.bcg)
> res <- rma(yi, vi, mods = ~ ablat + year, data=dat)
> predict(res, newmods=cbind(13:55, mean(dat$year)))      # holding year constant at the mean
> predict(res, newmods=cbind(mean(dat$ablat), 1948:1980)) # holding ablat constant at the mean
> 
> For models with interactions, you do the same thing. For example:
> 
> res <- rma(yi, vi, mods = ~ ablat + year + ablat:year, data=dat)
> predict(res, newmods=cbind(13:55, mean(dat$year), 13:55 * mean(dat$year)))
> predict(res, newmods=cbind(mean(dat$ablat), 1948:1980, mean(dat$ablat) * 1948:1980))
> 
> Since the slope of one moderator changes as a function of the value of the other moderator when the two moderators interact, one may also want to obtain predicted values when holding the other moderator constant at a couple different values. For example:
> 
> predict(res, newmods=cbind(13:55, 1948, 13:55 * 1948)) # holding year constant at lower bound
> predict(res, newmods=cbind(13:55, 1966, 13:55 * 1966)) # holding year constant at the mean (rounded)
> predict(res, newmods=cbind(13:55, 1980, 13:55 * 1980)) # holding year constant at upper bound
> 
> One can then plot the three lines to show how the expected value of 'es' changes as a function of ablat when year is held constant at its lower bound, mean, and upper bound.
> 
> Best,
> Wolfgang
> 
> -- 
> Wolfgang Viechtbauer, Ph.D., Statistician | Department of Psychiatry and    
> Neuropsychology | Maastricht University | P.O. Box 616 (VIJV1) | 6200 MD    
> Maastricht, The Netherlands | +31 (43) 388-4170 | http://www.wvbauer.com    
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: R-sig-meta-analysis [mailto:r-sig-meta-analysis-bounces at r-
>> project.org] On Behalf Of Cesar Terrer Moreno
>> Sent: Friday, July 14, 2017 13:52
>> To: r-sig-meta-analysis at r-project.org
>> Subject: [R-meta] Partial residual plots and meta-analysis
>> 
>> Dear All,
>> 
>> Using our beloved metafor and model selection, I got to the conclusion
>> that my best model was of the form:
>> 
>> mymodel <- rma(es, var, data=dat , mods= ~ 1 + A + B*C)
>> 
>> I want to show in a figure (to be included in a paper) the relationship
>> between es and the individual moderators, including the interaction, while
>> taking into account the effect of the rest of the moderators. Although I
>> don’t have experience in this matter, it seems that partial residual plots
>> is what I am looking for. I have tried to use the package visreg for this
>> purpose, but apparently it cannot handle a rma output:
>> 
>> visreg(mymodel)
>> Error in formula.default(fit) : invalid formula
>> 
>> Do you know how to visualise the individual effects of the moderators in a
>> meta-regression?
>> Thanks
>> César