I have a zero-inflated negative binomial model. I have used incidence rate ratios and I'm trying to interpret the coefficients in relation to my predictors. Most of my predictors are continuous variables of census data -- ie: % of the population that is Hispanic; % of the population less than age 18, etc. I know that the IRR is normally interpreted as the rate ratio for a 1-unit increase in the independent variable, but what does this mean in terms of these continuous predictors -- does this mean the IRR is the estimated rate ratio for a 1% increase in % Hispanic. Is there a way I can scale this so it can be interpreted to be the estimated rate ratio for a 10% increase in the % Hispanic? Also, one of my IRR's is 20. Does that seem unusually high?
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$\begingroup$ The last question cannot be answered without knowing more about your outcome and the predictors. A factor of 20 increase for 1 percentage point increase in X could make sense in some contexts. You might also find the second example useful: ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/output/stata_nbreg_output.htm $\endgroup$– dimitriyCommented Jul 9, 2013 at 17:26
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Does this mean the IRR is the estimated rate ratio for a 1% increase in % Hispanic?
Yes.
Is there a way I can scale this so it can be interpreted to be the estimated rate ratio for a 10% increase in the % Hispanic?
Divide the variable by 10 before you run your regression.
answered May 10, 2013 at 15:04