Description

TELCEL indicates whether a person is a member of a family with at least one working cellular phone.

Interviewers asked, "Does anyone in your family have a working cellular telephone?" Thus, as noted above, TELCEL only provides information about whether the person is a member of a family with at least one working cellular telephone. TELCEL does not provide any information about which family member(s) has or have a working cellular telephone.

Researchers may want to use TELCEL in conjunction with the following variables:

• Number of working cell phones family has (TELCELNO)

• Family has 1+ currently working, non-cell phones inside home (TELNONCEL)

Starting in 2021, this variable was derived from a question asking the phone status of the sample person (TELEPHONE), rather than asking if anyone in the family has a working cellular phone. For more details, please see TELEPHONE.

Comparability

Starting in 2021, this variable was derived from a question asking the phone status of the sample person (TELEPHONE), rather than asking if anyone in the family has a working cellular phone. For more details, please see TELEPHONE. Otherwise, this variable is comparable over time.

The NHIS questionnaire was substantially redesigned in 2019 to introduce a different data collection structure and new content. For more information on changes in terminology, universes, and data collection methods beginning in 2019, please see the user note.

Universe

Availability

• 2003-2018, 2021-2023

Weights

• 2003-2018 : PERWEIGHT