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multinomial logistic regression using multinom()

To: <s-news@lists.biostat.wustl.edu>
Subject: multinomial logistic regression using multinom()
From: "Jorn P. W. Scharlemann" <jpws2@cam.ac.uk>
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 12:33:09 +0100
Organization: Zoology, University of Cambridge
I am fitting a multinomial logistic regression using the multinom() function
from V&R's nnet library.

When I use predict(my.model, type = "probs") I do get fitted values for the
probabilities, which appear correct.

I would like to work out the actual theta and beta values (intercepts and
slopes) for each category in the response variable. However I am unable to
work out what exactly the coefficients provided by multinom() are and how
they can be converted to coefficients to calculate the probabilities.

To understand how multinom() works, I used the example on prevalence of
pneumoconiosis (normal, category2 and severe) predicted by period of
exposure of coalminers provided by McCullagh & Nelder (1983) Generalized
Linear Models, Table 5.2.

> my.model <- multinom (category ~ log(period), weights = n)
> my.model
Call:
multinom(formula = category ~ log(period), weights = n)

Coefficients:
       (Intercept) log(period)
normal    8.935987  -2.1653653
severe   -3.039118   0.9021238

Residual Deviance: 408.8689
AIC: 416.8689

McCullagh & Nelder give beta of 2.594 and theta 10.572 for the severe
category. How do I get from the multinom() coefficients to the ones given in
McCullagh & Nelder?

data:
   period  category  n
 1    5.8    normal 98
 2   15.0    normal 51
 3   21.5    normal 34
 4   27.5    normal 35
 5   33.5    normal 32
 6   39.5    normal 23
 7   46.0    normal 12
 8   51.5    normal  4
 9    5.8 category2  0
10   15.0 category2  2
11   21.5 category2  6
12   27.5 category2  5
13   33.5 category2 10
14   39.5 category2  7
15   46.0 category2  6
16   51.5 category2  2
17    5.8    severe  0
18   15.0    severe  1
19   21.5    severe  3
20   27.5    severe  8
21   33.5    severe  9
22   39.5    severe  8
23   46.0    severe 10
24   51.5    severe  5

I am using S-Plus 6.0 Rel 2 on Win2000.

Any help much appreciated!

Jorn Scharlemann
--
Dr Jorn P.W. Scharlemann
Conservation Biology Group
Department of Zoology
University of Cambridge
Downing Street
Cambridge CB2 3EJ

Email: jpws2@cam.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1223-336 675
Fax:+44 (0)1223-336 676
http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/zoostaff/cbg/index.html


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