Estimation of the multivariate logistic risk function: A comparison of the discriminant function and maximum likelihood approaches

We have considered the case in which the multivariate logistic model holds for risk of disease. That is, we assume the probability that a person with independent variable values X1,… ,xk develops the disease is given by P(X1,…Xk)=[1+e−a−∑i=1kβixi]−1 for some constants α and βi. Truett, Cornfield and Kannel [1] have proposed the use of the linear discriminant function in estimating the coefficients α and βi. Their method is theoretically correct...