Cosmetic surgery among women - a cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background: Studies from 2003 and 2008 indicated that 7-8 % of adult women in Norway had undergone cosmetic surgery. As there is little research available on the current situation, the main purpose of this study was to map the use of, desire for and social acceptance of cosmetic surgery. We also wanted to identify differences in demographic and psychosocial factors between women who have undergone cosmetic surgery, those who desire such surgery and those who do not.

Material and method: A sample of 3071 women aged between 18 and 60 years was recruited from the research panel used by the Ipsos/MMI market research company. Of these, 3055 were included in the study. Structured telephone interviews were conducted in December 2022.

Results: A total of 526 participants (17 %) answered that they had undergone at least one cosmetic procedures, while 1588 (52 %) reported that they were likely to have cosmetic surgery, and 535 (18 %) stated that cosmetic surgery had been recommended to them. The women who had undergone or desired cosmetic surgery reported a lower level of education, less satisfaction with their body and appearance, more frequent recommendations for cosmetic surgery, and greater use of appearance-focused social media compared to those who had no wish for cosmetic surgery.

Interpretation: The study indicated an increase in the use of cosmetic surgery among adult women over the last 20 years, from 8 % to 17 %, as well as an increase in both the desire for and social acceptance of cosmetic surgery.