Studies have long shown that the No. 1 driver of human action is fear, and that theory held true with motivating older smokers to quit, according to a new UW-CTRI research paper published in Geriatric Nursing.
Lead author and UW-CTRI Researcher Dr. Adrienne Johnson and her team surveyed 820 adults (ages 50-80) online. The participants were smokers without dementia. They evaluated three messages, including a message pertaining to fear of dementia, one that fostered hope for quitting smoking, and a control ad for water.
Johnson measured how these three messages affected their motivation and intention to quit smoking. The fear-based message highlighted that smoking increases the risk of developing dementia, and motivated people to want to quit smoking more than the control message.
However, the hopeful message about quitting did not differ from the control message in motivational impact.
Neither the hope-based message nor fear-based message, unfortunately, moved the needle on intention to quit. Johnson said this could be due to fact that, in general, older adults are less likely to try to quit smoking than younger folks. Also, this study focused more on motivation to quit than intention to make a quit attempt.
“Future work should examine the feasibility, acceptability, and behavioral impact of this type of motivational message in healthcare settings,” Johnson said. A common misperception is that mature adults can’t or won’t quit and, if they do, they won’t benefit from it. But the research reflects the contrary.
“When they do try to quit, they’re generally more successful than younger people, especially when they use evidenced-based treatments (which double their success),” Johnson said.
Dr. Adrienne Johnson won an award for her poster on this topic at UW DOM Research Day.
Johnson AL, Popova L, Kaye JT, Mahoney J. Examination of Hope- and Fear-based Messages Targeting Older Adults Who Smoke: A Randomized Trial. Geriatric Nursing. 60; 533-540. Online October 22, 2024.