Multilevel Methods for Public Health Research

Abstract

This chapter begins by outlining the conceptual motivation behind multilevel analyses and by identifying a core set of research questions that this approach addresses. It then introduces the idea of multilevel structures and discusses simple and complex multilevel models. It emphasizes that the key strength of multilevel models lies in modeling heterogeneity at different levels and shows how multilevel models can be extended to additional contextual levels (e.g., neighborhoods nested within regions). The estimation procedures underlying such models are discussed, showing how a multilevel framework can provide a general, unified approach to data analysis and how this can be achieved by extensions to the basic hierarchical structure of individuals nested within contexts. The chapter concludes with a discussion of issues that researchers should be aware of when applying multilevel methods.