Over 20% Households Wireless Only: Wireless-Only Heathlier, Says NHIS
This is the largest 6-month increase observed since NHIS began collecting data on wireless-only households in 2003. Also, one of every seven American homes (14.5%) received all or almost all calls on wireless telephones, despite having a landline telephone in the home.
In the last 6 months of 2008, more than one of every five households (20.2%) did not have a landline telephone but did have at least one wireless telephone. Approximately 18.4% of all adults--more than 41 million adults--lived in households with only wireless telephones; 18.7% of all children--nearly 14 million children--lived in households with only wireless telephones.
The percentage of adults living in wireless-only households has also been increasing steadily During the last 6 months of 2008, more than one of every six adults lived in wireless-only households. One year before that (that is, during the last 6 months of 2007), one of every seven adults lived in wireless-only households. And 2 years before that (that is, during the last 6 months of 2005), only 1 of every 13 adults lived in wireless-only households.
The percentages of adults and children living without any telephone service have remained relatively unchanged over the past 3 years. Approximately 1.9% of households had no telephone service (neither wireless nor landline). Nearly 4 million adults (1.7%) and 2 million children (2.4%) lived in these households.
- The prevalence of binge drinking (i.e., having five or more alcoholic drinks in 1 day during the past year) among wireless-only adults (36.7%) was nearly twice as high as the prevalence among adults living in landline households (19.7%). Wireless-only adults were also more likely to be current smokers than were adults living in landline households.
- Compared with adults living in landline households, wireless-only adults were more likely to report that their health status was excellent or very good, were more likely to engage in regular leisure-time physical activity, and were less likely to have ever been diagnosed with diabetes.
- The percentage without health insurance coverage at the time of the interview among wireless-only nonelderly adults (27.5%) was considerably higher than the percentage among nonelderly adults living in landline households (16.4%).
- Compared with adults living in landline households, wireless-only adults were more likely to have experienced financial barriers to obtaining needed health care, and they were less likely to have a usual place to go for medical care. Wireless-only adults were also less likely to have received an influenza vaccination during the previous year.
- Wireless-only adults (47.0%) were more likely than adults living in landline households (37.1%) to have ever been tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
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I dumped my land line last year and now have only a cell phone. But I went a step further and got a Tracfone and pay upfront for use. It’s much more cost-effective and the service is fine.
The only reason I’d kept my landline was to send faxes but I do that on the Internet now, so who needs a landline?
Plus I have no contract anymore for my phone and the quality is great.