Investigating facemask problems associated with wearing comfort and fit

Abstract

PurposeA facemask is used to cover the nose and mouth to protect a wearer's health in daily life. The authors’ long-term goal aimed to ensure more people with different physical characteristics and different attitudes can wear a high performance and comfortable facemask. In the present paper, wearers were surveyed by a questionnaire. Additionally, a prototype improvement pattern with a fit performance was investigated.Design/methodology/approachThe survey of facemask wearers was conducted with local students and international students in Japan. A basic pattern with high fit performance was analyzed using a combination of triangles based on the measured three-dimensional coordinates of the head shape of a Japanese mannequin.FindingsThe aggregated survey data indicated that 85.0% of the Japanese female students, 77.2% of international female students, 70.8% of Japanese male students and 54.3% of international male students were facemask wearers. Wearers had problems related to their masks' thermal, hygroscopic and airflow properties. Japanese nonusers did not wear them due to dislike related to the problems above. International nonusers had no experience of wearing them. It was concerned that these discomfort factors influence fit performance and reduction of wearing effects. Therefore, the authors analyzed a sheet pattern with a high fit performance for a Japanese head mannequin.Originality/valueThese results will contribute in improving hygienic facemasks for people at the global level. The survey results and pattern analysis provide of necessary conditions of development of the mask with comfortable and high fit performance.

Negative attitude towards wearing facemask during COVID-19 pandemic: A survey based on educational settings

“…The present results were supported by the research study conducted by Matt C. Howard and reported that, "Men were significantly more likely to perceive face masks as infringing upon their independence" [32] . An another study reported that, "the odds of an individual wearing a mask increased significantly with age and was also 1.5x greater for females than males" [32][33][34][35][36] . 4: Showing the attitude of facemask wearing in context of rural and urban participant.…”

Necessary conditions of the length and correct way of wearing of a nonmedical mask for younger Japanese women

“…Earlier studies have investigated the design of masks for fitting the closed mouths of younger Japanese men and women 1 and the open mouths of men. 2 Moreover, the design of comfortable masks has been studied for a female Japanese dummy with a closed mouth 3 and five young Japanese women with open mouths 4 in pilot studies. In addition, in a related survey 5 of university students in Japan (men, N = 1147, mean age of 19.8 years; women, N = 2050, mean age of 19.6 years) on attitudes toward wearing a mask, the percentage of respondents wearing a mask in daily life was higher in women (75.4%) than in men (48.2%).…”