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2021 BRFSS Survey Data and Documentation
The 2021 BRFSS data continue to reflect the changes initially made in 2011 for weighting methodology (raking) and adding cell-phone-only respondents. The aggregate BRFSS combined landline and cell phone data set is built from the landline and cell phone data submitted for 2021 and includes data from 49 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
2021 BRFSS Overview CDC [PDF – 120 KB]
Provides information on the background, design, data collection and processing, and the statistical and analytical issues for the combined landline and cell phone data set.
2021 BRFSS Codebook CDC [PDF – 3 MB]
Codebook for the file showing variable name, location, and frequency of values for all reporting areas combined for the combined landline and cell phone data set.
Calculated Variables in Data Files CDC [PDF – 1.91 MB [PDF – 371 KB]]
2021 Summary Data Quality Report with Response Rates CDC [PDF – 1 MB]
Complex Sampling Weights and Preparing Module Data for Analysis CDC [PDF – 221 KB]
An explanation of the need to use complex sampling weights and instructions for preparing a module data set for analysis.
BRFSS Combined Landline and Cell Phone Weighted Response Rates by State, 2021 CDC [PDF – 215 KB]
Comparability of Data CDC [PDF – 167 KB]
Comparability of data across reporting areas for the combined landline and cell phone data set. The BRFSS 2021 data is not directly comparable to years of BRFSS data before 2011 because of the changes in weighting methodology and the addition of the cell phone sampling frame.
BRFSS Modules Used by State
BRFSS Modules Used by Category
Arranged by state or by category for the combined landline and cell phone data set.
Summary Matrix of Calculated Variables (CV) in the 2021 Data File
There are 438,693 records for 2021. More information on participation is available in the states conducting surveillance, by year table. The data files are provided in ASCII and SAS Transport formats. The July, 2023 update includes a correction for Kentucky to the variable TRNSGNDR due to an interviewer coding error.
2021 BRFSS Data (ASCII) [ZIP – 41.5 MB]
July, 2023
This file for the combined landline and cell phone data set is in ASCII format. It has a fixed record length of 2072 positions.
2021 BRFSS Data (SAS Transport Format) [ZIP – 64.3 MB]
July, 2023
This file for the combined landline and cell phone data set was exported from SAS V9.4 in the XPT transport format. This file contains 304 variables. This format can be imported into SPSS or STATA. Please note: some of the variable labels get truncated in the process of converting to the XPT format so they may be slightly different from what is on the SASOUT21.SAS program.
Variable Layout
Format information on variable name by column position.
The Combined Landline and Cellular Telephone Survey Multiple Questionnaire Version Data–includes Optional Modules
The combined landline and cellular telephone multiple version questionnaire data sets contain the data from the states which conducted more than one version of their landline and cellular telephone survey questionnaires and used optional modules in 2021.
The following files are included for use with SAS software developed by SAS Institute, Inc. The SAS files are programs that can be read using any text editor. Save SAS files as plain text files.
Format21.sas [SAS – 556 KB]
SAS for Windows program used to generate the 2020 format library.
Formats21 [SAS7BCAT – 381 KB] Format library used with the 2020 BRFSS SAS Data File in 32 bit SAS.
Formats21 [SAS7BCAT – 441 KB] Format library used with the 2020 BRFSS SAS Data File in 64 bit SAS.
SASOUT21_LLCP.SAS [SAS – 28 KB]
SAS for Windows program to convert the ASCII file into a SAS dataset.
TRANSPRT.SAS [SAS – 3 KB]
SAS for Windows program to convert the XPT (SAS Transport) file into a SAS dataset.
Formas21.sas CDC [SAS – 54 KB]
SAS for Windows format assignment statements.