Qualitative Message Development to Motivate Quitting Smoking in Older Adults: Dementia May Motivate Quitting.

ABSTRACT: Compared to younger adults, older adults who smoke cigarettes are half as likely to make a quit attempt, but more likely to maintain abstinence using evidence-based smoking treatments (EBSTs), illustrating the need for motivational messages to promote cessation through EBSTs. It is unclear whether messaging regarding the association between smoking and dementia might motivate older adults to quit. We conducted 90-min semi-structured qualitative interviews and surveys via telephone with 24 U.S. older adults who smoke (ages 50-75) with no cognitive impairment history. Rapid content analysis revealed the most reported health-related concern of aging was dementia/cognitive loss/loss of functioning. However, most participants were unaware of the association between cognitive decline and smoking

SUBMITTER: Johnson AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10929053 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature