Solved – How to convert the standard error of the log odds ratio to the odds ratio standard error

meta-analysisodds-ratiostandard error

I am using the log odds ratio (and its standard error) for meta-analysis. I want to convert back to odds ratio to write up the results… maybe i'm putting in the wrong search terms but can't find info on how to do this.

Obviously the Ln(OR) can be converted by using the exponent, I don't think i can do the same for the standard error of ln(OR)?

Best Answer

With an estimate of the log odds ratio $\hat\omega$ & its standard error $\hat\sigma_{\hat\omega}$ you can use the delta method to get an approximation to the standard error of the odds ratio estimate $\newcommand{\e}{\mathrm{e}}\e^\hat\omega$: $$\newcommand{\Var}{\operatorname{Var}} \newcommand{\dif}{\mathrm{d}} \begin{align} \sqrt{\Var \e^{\hat\omega}} & \approx \sqrt{\left(\left.\frac{\dif \e^x}{\dif x}\right|_\hat\omega\right)^2 \Var \hat\omega }\\ & = \e^{\hat\omega} \hat\sigma_{\hat\omega} \end{align}$$

(That's assuming your estimate of the log odds ratio is consistent—i.e. it would tend to the true (population) value as sample size increased.)

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