[R-meta] Meta-analysis of intra class correlation coefficients

[St Pourcain, Beate]

Dear R-sig group,

We would like to carry out a meta-analysis of intra class correlation (ICC) coefficients (i.e. the correlation between pairs of individuals, for the same trait). For this reason, we aim to derive the variance of ICCs from published studies, without access to individual data, thus, preventing bootstrapping. Could anyone advise us what the options are to derive the variance for ICCs using existing R packages?

We were looking into the escalc function from the metafor package, but could not find options for ICCs, but options for Pearson product-moment correlations ("COR" option). 

We have seen research proposing to apply the escalc "COR" option also to derive the variance for ICCs. However, we are unsure about this, as we may get undesirable properties for the derived variance, given that the definition of the correlations is different.

Any advice is welcome!

Best wishes,
Beate
  

Beate St Pourcain, PhD
Senior Investigator & Group Leader
Room A207
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics | Wundtlaan 1 | 6525 XD Nijmegen | The Netherlands


@bstpourcain
Tel: +31 24 3521964
Fax: +31 24 3521213
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4680-3517
Web: https://www.mpi.nl/departments/language-and-genetics/projects/population-variation-and-human-communication/
Further affiliations with:
MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit | University of Bristol | UK
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour | Radboud University | The Netherlands

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