Women smokers’ experiences of an age-appearance anti-smoking intervention: A qualitative study

Objectives. This study was designed to investigate women’s experiences of engaging
in an age-appearance anti-smoking intervention.
Methods. Ten 18- to 34-year-old women gave accounts of their experiences after
engaging in an age-appearance facial morphing anti-smoking intervention in interviews
(n = 7) and a focus group (n = 3), and 37 women gave their accounts while they were
engaged in the intervention. Transcripts were analysed using a thematic analysis broadly
informed by the procedures of Grounded Theory.
Results. Women were very concerned about the impact of ageing on their faces in
general, and in particular the additional impact of smoking on their skin. Women were
concerned about other people’s reactions to them as older smokers with wrinkled skin,
and many experienced a physical shock reaction (including reports of nausea) to seeing
how they would age if they continued to smoke. They reported that seeing their own face
aged on the computer screen increased their perceived risk of skin wrinkling. Women
reported being highly motivated to quit smoking as a result of the intervention, and
many reported that they would take active steps to quit having seen how they would
look if they continued to smoke. This was linked with increased perceived personal
responsibility for quitting.
Conclusions. Results are discussed in relation to suggestions for anti-smoking
interventions aimed at women in the 18- to 34-year-old age group. It is concluded
that interventions incorporating age-appearance morphing techniques are likely to be
effective in helping women to take active steps to quit smoking.