Global trends and predictors of face mask usage during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background Guidelines and recommendations from public health authorities related to face masks have been essential in containing the COVID-19 pandemic. We assessed the prevalence and correlates of mask usage during the pandemic. Methods We examined a total of 13,723,810 responses to a daily cross-sectional online survey in 38 countries of people who completed from April 23, 2020 to October 31, 2020 and reported having been in public at least once during the last 7 days. The outcome was individual face mask usage in public settings, and the predictors were country fixed effects, country-level mask policy stringency, calendar time, individual sociodemographic factors, and health prevention behaviors. Associations were modeled using survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression. Results Mask-wearing varied over time and across the 38 countries. While some countries consistently showed high prevalence throughout, in other countries mask usage increased gradually, and a few other countries remained at low prevalence. Controlling for time and country fixed effects, sociodemographic factors (older age, female gender, education, urbanicity) and stricter mask-related policies were significantly associated with higher mask usage in public settings. Crucially, social behaviors considered risky in the context of the pandemic (going out to large events, restaurants, shopping centers, and socializing outside of the household) were associated with lower mask use. Conclusion The decision to wear a face mask in public settings is significantly associated with sociodemographic factors, risky social behaviors, and mask policies. This has important implications for health prevention policies and messaging, including the potential need for more targeted policy and messaging design.

Perceived Effectiveness and Sustainability of Face Masks Among German Citizens During the 2nd Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Cross-Sectional Study

“…However, this age group was and continues to be criticized for not following the non-pharmaceutical rules to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (45). While several national publications supported the results of the present study (46,47), some studies found no association between compliance of wearing masks and age groups (44,48), and others detected a positive association between increasing age and the likelihood of wearing a mask in public areas (39,49). The mixed results suggest that the strength of the association varies according to the age group assignment and sample size per age group, which should be considered for the study at hand.…”

“…The mixed results suggest that the strength of the association varies according to the age group assignment and sample size per age group, which should be considered for the study at hand. In general, some studies indicated the compliance of German citizens toward this measure to be high (49). However, when compared to other European and predominantly Asian countries, the compliance of the German population was relatively low during the second wave (20,50).…”

Typologies of stress appraisal and problem-focused coping: associations with compliance with public health recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Females reported lower levels of risk for poor compliance compared to males, but this difference was not statistically significant. Although lack of gender difference in PHBs has been reported in India [ 31 ], the finding of few gender differences in compliance is not fully consistent with past research [ 29 , 36 – 40 ]. However, it is important to note that the meta-analysis conducted by Moran and Del Valle [ 39 ] was based on studies that used variable-centered approaches with an emphasis on mean gender differences.…”

“…Latent class membership can also be used to predict an observed distal outcome, which, in the current study, is compliance with public health recommendations during the early phase of the pandemic. Moreover, given increasing empirical evidence that women are more likely than men to engage in PHBs during epidemics and pandemics [ 29 , 36 – 39 ] as well as in health behaviors more generally [ 40 ], we examined possible gender differences in the relations between typologies of stress appraisal and problem-focused coping and PHBs.…”

Submicronic Filtering Media Based on Electrospun Recycled PET Nanofibers: Development, Characterization, and Method to Manufacture Surgical Masks

“…Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Environment Agency [ 1 ] reported in June 2021 a waste of 170,000 tons of face masks and estimated an additional global warming potential of 2.4–5.7 million tons of equivalent carbon dioxide (CO ). Although the use of protective masks is significantly associated with sociodemographic factors, social behaviors and prevention policies, it has been established in most of the global population [ 2 , 3 ]. The massive use of protective masks will be linked to the epidemiological progress of the pandemic.…”