# Negative binomial — IRR interpretation for predictors

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?

• 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 – Dimitriy V. Masterov Jul 9 '13 at 17:26