table_or - Publication-ready odds ratio tables • plotor

library(plotor)
set.seed(123) # reproducibility

Overview

table_or() automates the creation of publication-ready odds ratio tables from logistic regression models. This vignette shows how to:

Generate programmatic tibble output for downstream analysis and reporting
Create formatted HTML tables with {gt} for manuscripts and reports
Customise confidence levels, anonymisation and styling
Export tables for publication

When to use this function

Use table_or() when you need to:

Present logistic regression results in a standardised, publication-ready format
Create tables that comply with reporting guidelines, (e.g., STROBE guidelines for observational studies)
Combine or compare results across multiple models
Ensure consistent interpretation guidance for readers (via footnotes)
Balance transparency with data privacy (via anonymisation options)

Quick example - minimal workflow

# create a small example dataset
rows <- 400
df <- data.frame(
  outcome = rbinom(n = rows, size = 1, prob = 0.25) |> 
    factor(labels = c("Healthy", "Disease")),
  age = rnorm(n = rows, mean = 50, sd = 12),
  sex = sample(x = 0:1, size = rows, replace = TRUE) |> 
    factor(labels = c("Female", "Male")),
  smoke = sample(x = 0:2, size = rows, replace = TRUE) |> 
    factor(labels = c("Never", "Former", "Current"))
)

# fit a logistic regression model
m <- glm(
  formula = outcome ~ age + sex + smoke,
  family = "binomial",
  data = df
)

Programmatic output (tibble)

Use the tibble output for downstream manipulation, reporting or combining results across models.

table_or(m, output = "tibble")
#> # A tibble: 6 × 14
#>   label level    rows outcome outcome_rate class   estimate std.error statistic
#>   <fct> <fct>   <int>   <int>        <dbl> <chr>      <dbl>     <dbl>     <dbl>
#> 1 age   age       400      97        0.242 numeric    0.990   0.00996   -1.04  
#> 2 sex   Female    206      53        0.257 factor    NA      NA         NA     
#> 3 sex   Male      194      44        0.227 factor     0.856   0.235     -0.663 
#> 4 smoke Never     137      34        0.248 factor    NA      NA         NA     
#> 5 smoke Former    135      34        0.252 factor     1.03    0.281      0.0997
#> 6 smoke Current   128      29        0.227 factor     0.902   0.290     -0.356 
#> # ℹ 5 more variables: p.value <dbl>, conf.low <dbl>, conf.high <dbl>,
#> #   significance <chr>, comparator <dbl>

Key columns returned:

label: Variable name or predictor group (e.g., “age”, “sex”, “smoke”)
level: Specific level or term shown for the row (numeric variable name or factor level label)
rows: Number of observations used to estimate the row (rows in the model / data subset for that term)
outcome: Count of outcome events (cases) observed for that row / level
outcome_rate: Proportion of observations with the outcome (outcome / rows)
class: Data type of the predictor shown in this row (e.g., “numeric”, “factor”)
estimate: Model coefficient on the link (log-odds) scale; NA for comparator / reference rows
std.error: Standard error of the coefficient estimate
statistic: Test statistic for the coefficient (e.g., z or t value from the model)
p.value: Two-sided p-value for the coefficient test
conf.low: Lower bound of the confidence interval for the odds ratio (exponentiated coefficient)
conf.high: Upper bound of the confidence interval for the odds ratio (exponentiated coefficient)
signfiicance: Human-readable summary of statistical evidence (e.g., “Not significant”, “Significant” or “Comaparator”)
comparator: Indicates reference / comparator rows (e.g., “1” for the first level of factors)

Estimates are shown as coefficients on the log-odds scale (estimate / std.error / statistic / p.value) with confidence intervals presented for exponentiated results (conf.low / conf.high).

Interpreting the results

OR > 1: increased odds of the outcome
OR < 1: decreased odds of the outcome
OR = 1: No association
Confidence interval crosses 1.0: not statistically significant

Formatted HTML table (gt)

Create a publication-ready table using gt formatting.

table_or(m, output = "gt")

	Characteristic¹					Odds Ratio (OR)²			95% Confidence Interval (CI)³			OR Plot
outcome
Odds Ratio summary table with 95% Confidence Interval
	Level	N	n	Rate	Class	OR	SE	p	Lower	Upper	Significance	OR Plot
age	age	400	97	24.25%	numeric	0.9897	0.009961	3.00 × 10⁻¹	0.9705	1.009	Not significant
sex	Female	206	53	25.73%	factor	—	—	—	—	—	Comparator
sex	Male	194	44	22.68%	factor	0.8558	0.2350	5.07 × 10⁻¹	0.5385	1.355	Not significant
smoke	Never	137	34	24.82%	factor	—	—	—	—	—	Comparator
	Former	135	34	25.19%	factor	1.028	0.2808	9.21 × 10⁻¹	0.5923	1.786	Not significant
	Current	128	29	22.66%	factor	0.9018	0.2903	7.22 × 10⁻¹	0.5085	1.592	Not significant
¹ Characteristics are the explanatory variables in the logistic regression analysis. For categorical variables the first characteristic is designated as a reference against which the others are compared. For numeric variables the results indicate a change per single unit increase. Level - the name or the description of the explanatory variable. N - the number of observations examined. n - the number of observations resulting in the outcome of interest. Rate - the proportion of observations resulting in the outcome of interest (n / N). Class - description of the data type.
² Odds Ratios estimate the relative odds of an outcome with reference to the Characteristic. For categorical data the first level is the reference against which the odds of other levels are compared. Numerical characteristics indicate the change in OR for each additional increase of one unit in the variable. OR - The Odds Ratio point estimate - values below 1 indicate an inverse relationship whereas values above 1 indicate a positive relationship. Values shown to 4 significant figures. SE - Standard Error of the point estimate. Values shown to 4 significant figures. p - The p-value estimate based on the residual Chi-squared statistic.
³ Confidence Interval - the range of values likely to contain the OR in 95% of cases if this study were to be repeated multiple times. If the CI touches or crosses the value 1 then it is unlikely the Characteristic is significantly associated with the outcome. Lower & Upper - The range of values comprising the CI, shown to 4 significant figures. Significance - The statistical significance indicated by the CI, Significant where the CI does not touch or cross the value 1.

What the gt output includes

The HTML table includes:

Formatted odds ratios with confidence intervals
Mini forest plot visualising effect sizes
Comprehensive footnotes that help readers interpret results

Understanding the footnotes

The footnotes clarify:

Interpretation of OR values: explaining that values below 1 indicate inverse relationships and above 1 indicate positive relationships
Variable type handling: showing how categorical variables (reference vs comparison levels) and numeric variables (per-unit change) are presented differently
Significance rule: making clear that confidence intervals crossing 1.0 are presented differently
Precision: specifying that values are shown to 4 significant figures
Metric definitions: ensureing readers understand OR, SE, p-value and CI without external references

Common customisations

Change confidence level

Report 90% confidence intervals for sensitivity analysis or different reporting standards:

table_or(m, output = "tibble", conf_level = 0.90)
#> # A tibble: 6 × 14
#>   label level    rows outcome outcome_rate class   estimate std.error statistic
#>   <fct> <fct>   <int>   <int>        <dbl> <chr>      <dbl>     <dbl>     <dbl>
#> 1 age   age       400      97        0.242 numeric    0.990   0.00996   -1.04  
#> 2 sex   Female    206      53        0.257 factor    NA      NA         NA     
#> 3 sex   Male      194      44        0.227 factor     0.856   0.235     -0.663 
#> 4 smoke Never     137      34        0.248 factor    NA      NA         NA     
#> 5 smoke Former    135      34        0.252 factor     1.03    0.281      0.0997
#> 6 smoke Current   128      29        0.227 factor     0.902   0.290     -0.356 
#> # ℹ 5 more variables: p.value <dbl>, conf.low <dbl>, conf.high <dbl>,
#> #   significance <chr>, comparator <dbl>

Anonymise counts for sensitive data

Improve data privacy by rounding counts to the nearest five and suppressing counts below ten. This is useful when working with sensitive dataset under strict information governance requirements:

table_or(m, output = "tibble", anonymise_counts = TRUE)
#> # A tibble: 6 × 14
#>   label level   rows  outcome outcome_rate class   estimate std.error statistic
#>   <fct> <fct>   <chr> <chr>          <dbl> <chr>      <dbl>     <dbl>     <dbl>
#> 1 age   age     400   95             0.242 numeric    0.990   0.00996   -1.04  
#> 2 sex   Female  205   55             0.257 factor    NA      NA         NA     
#> 3 sex   Male    195   45             0.227 factor     0.856   0.235     -0.663 
#> 4 smoke Never   135   35             0.248 factor    NA      NA         NA     
#> 5 smoke Former  135   35             0.252 factor     1.03    0.281      0.0997
#> 6 smoke Current 130   30             0.227 factor     0.902   0.290     -0.356 
#> # ℹ 5 more variables: p.value <dbl>, conf.low <dbl>, conf.high <dbl>,
#> #   significance <chr>, comparator <dbl>

Combine results from multiple models

Compare models by binding tibble outputs:

# fit a second model
m2 <- glm(
  formula = outcome ~ age + sex,
  family = "binomial",
  data = df
)

# combine results
combined_results <-
  dplyr::bind_rows(
    dplyr::bind_cols(model = "Model 1", table_or(m)),
    dplyr::bind_cols(model = "Model 2", table_or(m2))
  )

head(combined_results)
#> # A tibble: 6 × 15
#>   model   label level    rows outcome outcome_rate class   estimate std.error
#>   <chr>   <fct> <fct>   <int>   <int>        <dbl> <chr>      <dbl>     <dbl>
#> 1 Model 1 age   age       400      97        0.242 numeric    0.990   0.00996
#> 2 Model 1 sex   Female    206      53        0.257 factor    NA      NA      
#> 3 Model 1 sex   Male      194      44        0.227 factor     0.856   0.235  
#> 4 Model 1 smoke Never     137      34        0.248 factor    NA      NA      
#> 5 Model 1 smoke Former    135      34        0.252 factor     1.03    0.281  
#> 6 Model 1 smoke Current   128      29        0.227 factor     0.902   0.290  
#> # ℹ 6 more variables: statistic <dbl>, p.value <dbl>, conf.low <dbl>,
#> #   conf.high <dbl>, significance <chr>, comparator <dbl>

Exporting tables

Export to HTML file

gt_table <- table_or(m, output = "gt")
gt::gtsave(data = gt_table, filename = "odds_ratios.html")

Export to Word document

gt_table <- table_or(m, output = "gt")
gt::gtsave(data = gt_table, filename = "odds_ratios.docx")

Export to CSV (tibble)

readr::write_csv(x = table_or(m), file = "odds_ratios.csv")

Tips for publication

Choose your output format wisely: use “tibble” for flexibility and downstream analysis; use “gt” for direct inclusion in manuscripts or reports
Select relevant columns: not all columns are needed for publication; consider your audience and journal requirements
Check the confidence interval rule: always verify that your signifiance conslusions match the CI crossing rule (CI does not cross 1.0 = significant)
Report the confidence level: specify whether you’re using 95% (default), 90% or another confidence level
Use anonymisation for sensitive data: when sharing tables with restricted data, use anonymise_counts = TRUE

Conclusion

The table_or() function automates the creation of publication-ready odds ratio tables from logistic regression models, eliminating manual calculation and formatting while ensuring consistent presentation of results with appropriate statistical annotations.

table_or - Publication-ready odds ratio tables