Cox proportional hazard regression in SPSS using reference group

Question

I am running cox proportional hazard regression in SPSS to see the association of 'predictor' with risk of a disease in a 10 years follow-up. I have another variable 'age_quartiles' with values 1,2,3,4 and want to use '1' as reference to get HRs for 2,3, and 4 relative to '1'. When I put this variable in Strata I still get one 'HR' as follows ('S_URAT_07' is the predictor with continuous values);

Question: How do I get HRs for the predictor for the event based on 'age_quartiles' 2,3 and 4 and keeping 1 as reference group? 'age_quartile' is not a predictor here. Am I suppose to choose a specific method?

Answer 1

The model you're fitting involves only the one parameter for changes in hazard as S_URAT_07 varies (e.g., the B is the change in log hazard for a single unit increase in S_URAT_07), regardless of the level of age_quartiles. What differs by age_quartiles is the baseline hazard function when it's used as a strata or stratification variable, and the hazards are then no longer proportional.

If you specify age_quartiles as a factor (called a categorical covariate in COXREG) rather than a strata variable, you'll again get a single coefficient for S_URAT_07, but also a set of three coefficients that reflect proportionally differing baselines for each level of age_quartiles. You can specify simple contrasts on the factor with the first level as the reference category to reflect comparisons with that category.

If you specify age_quartiles as a factor and also include the interaction bewteen it and S_URAT_07, then you get separate proportional baseline hazard functions, but also allow the impact of S_URAT_07 to differ depending on the age_quartiles level.