Choosing to remain smoke-free: the experiences of adolescent girls

To develop an understanding of the experiences of nonsmoking girls and determine how these girls avoid smoking.

A grounded theory approach was used to direct the discovery of process(es) that nonsmoking females undertake to remain nonsmokers. Seventeen nonsmoking females between the ages of 13 and 17 years were interviewed using open-ended questions designed by the authors. The interviews were tape-recorded and then analyzed using the techniques described by Strauss and Corbin.

The data revealed that the process of remaining a nonsmoker is composed of three phases: making sense of smoking, rejecting smoking, and declaring oneself to be a nonsmoker. The process of remaining a nonsmoker appears to be rooted in developing self-confidence. As girls rejected smoking, self-confidence was boosted because they learned that their choice would be accepted and their strategies were effective in rejecting smoking.

The findings of this study offer new insights into the experiences of adolescent nonsmokers. Our assumption that there is a process that underlies remaining a nonsmoker was supported. The findings suggest that adolescents use several strategies in this process. These strategies are noteworthy because they offer those who work in the field of health promotion new insights into ways in which they might contribute to increasing the ranks of nonsmokers.