Adjusting background noise in cluster analyses of longitudinal data.

Background noise in cluster analyses can potentially mask the true underlying patterns. To tease out patterns uniquely to certain populations, a Bayesian semi-parametric clustering method is presented. It infers and adjusts background noise. The method is built upon a mixture of the Dirichlet process and a point mass function. Simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The method is then applied to analyze a longitudinal data set on allergic sensitization and asthma status.