Comparison of cell phone versus land-line respondents in the Georgia behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS), 2011

Background: BRFSS is a state-based telephone survey designed to collect information about health risk behaviors, clinical preventive practices, and access to healthcare and utilization. Traditionally, interviewers made calls to land-line (LL) telephone numbers only. However, the numbers of cellular phone-only (CP) households in the U.S. have increased by more than 700 percent during 2003-2009, prompting the CDC in 2011 to include households with CP in the BRFSS to obtain data that better represent the population. Methods: The Georgia BRFSS is an annual telephone survey of non-institutionalized adults 18 years and older. We analyzed the 2011 BRFSS data for Georgia(n=9,960) and compared LL-only(n=9023) and CP-only(n=937) households on demographic characteristics, certain risk behaviors, and chronic diseases. Results: CP respondents were significantly more likely to be males (CP=58%,95%CI=54.4–61.7vs.LL=49%,95%CI=46.6–50.5), Black/Non-Hispanic (CP=35%,95%CI=31.4–39.0vs.LL=28%,95%CI=26.3–29.9), aged 18-34 years (CP=63%,95%CI=59.5-66.4vs.LL=36%,95%CI30.3-34.7), and without a high school diploma (CP=23%,95%CI=19.2–26.5vs.LL=17%,95%CI=15.8–18.8). Overall, the prevalence of risk behaviors was higher among CP respondents than LL respondents. Approximately 29%(95%CI=25.8–32.9) of CP respondents were smokers compared to 21%(95%CI=19.2–22.6) of LL respondents. Alcohol consumption was significantly higher among CP(60%,95%CI=56.2-63.9) than LL respondents (48%,95%CI=46.2–50.2). A larger proportion of LL households (74%,95%CI=71.9–76.3) had some form of health coverage compared to CP households (54%,95%CI=50.0–57.9). Chronic disease prevalence also differed from LL to CP households. LL respondents had higher prevalence of diabetes (LL=11%,95%CI=10.1–12.0vs.CP=5%,95%CI=3.5–6.1), and obesity (LL=30%,95%CI=28.0–31.6vs.CP=24%,95%CI=20.7-27.1), and were more likely to have had a previous heart attack (5%,95%CI=4.1–5.4vs.CP=2%,95%CI=1.5–3.3). Conclusion: Overall, the population in Georgia varies from cellular-only to landline-only household respondents in regards to demography, prevalence of chronic diseases and certain risk behaviors.