Table 4

Estimated percentage change in smoking prevalence (the proportion of smoking in the general population) per 10% change in the exposure from ARIMAX models

Smoking prevalenceUnadjustedAdjusted for covariates in table
Percentage change per 10% change in the exposure (95% CI), p ValuePercentage change per 10% change in the exposure (95% CI), p Value
Model 1
 Mass media expenditure (lag 0)−0.03 (-0.09 to0.03), 0.275−0.03 (-0.09 to 0.02), 0.258
 Weekly spend tobacco (lag 1)0.08 (-0.09 to 0.25), 0.371
 Cessation aid use (lag 1)−0.18 (-0.38 to 0.03), 0.096
 Tobacco control policies−0.54 (-1.44 to 0.36), 0.238
 Best fitting modelARIMAX (0, 1, 1) (0, 0, 0)ARIMAX (0, 1, 1) (0, 0, 0)
 Non-seasonal (p)—ARNANA
 —MA<0.001<0.001
 Seasonal (p)— ARNANA
 —MANANA
 R2 0.4650.527
Model 2
 Mass media expenditure (lag 3)−0.03 (-0.09 to 0.03), 0.269−0.03 (-0.09 to 0.03), 0.299
 Weekly spend tobacco (lag 1)−0.08 (-0.10 to 0.25), 0.379
 Cessation aid use (lag 1)−0.18 (-0.39 to 0.03), 0.097
 Tobacco control policies−0.54 (-1.44 to 0.35), 0.235
 Best fitting modelARIMAX (0, 1, 1) (0, 0, 0)ARIMAX (0, 1, 1) (0, 0, 0)
 Non-seasonal (p)—ARNANA
 —MA<0.001<0.001
 Seasonal (p)—ARNANA
 —MANANA
 R2 0.4650.527
  • The assumption of normally distributed errors was met. When lags of tobacco spending and cessation use were set to zero very similar results were found for mass media in model 1 (β=−0.03 (-0.09 to 0.02), p=0.238) and in model 2 (β=−0.03 (-0.10 to 0.03), p=0.278). Additional MA (0, 1, 2) or AR (1, 1, 1) terms were not significant.

  • AR, autoregressive terms; ARIMAX, Autoregressive integrated moving average modelling with exogenous variables;MA, moving average terms.