Misclassification in logistic regression with discrete covariates

We study the effect of misclassification of a binary covariate on the parameters of a logistic regression model. In particular we consider 2 x 2 x 2 tables. We assume that a binary covariate is subject to misclassification that may depend on the observed outcome. This type of misclassification is known as (outcome dependent) differential misclassification. We examine the resulting asymptotic bias on the parameters of the model and derive formulas for the biases and their approximations as a function of the odds and misclassification probabilities. Conditions for unbiased estimation are also discussed. The implications are illustrated numerically using a case control study. For completeness we briefly examine the effect of covariate dependent misclassification of exposures and of outcomes.