I have two types of continuous outcome variables, and my intention was to fit a nonlinear regression on each of them. One outcome variable was Poisson-distributed, so I used GENMOD on it for Poisson regression. It is not a linear regression, its logarithm is linear. For it, the outcome variable y distribution has to be Poisson, and DIST= option in the model statement is poisson, and the link function is log. Another of my outcome variables is really continuous, with fractions, not normally distributed. What is the meaning of DIST= normal option from GENMOD model statement? If I use it, does the distribution of the outcome have to be normal? I see that the link function when I run the GENMOD with DIST=normal is identity. Is it applying a simple linear model (then why give it info about distribution)? My intention is to fit a nonlinear model for a continuous normal-ish distributed outcome variable.
... View more