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

BMC Public Health

Ting-Hsuan Chang¹  Elena Badillo-Goicoechea²  Elizabeth A. Stuart²  Katherine Morris³  Esther Kim³  Curtiss Cobb³  Sarah LaRocca³  Xiaoyi Deng⁴  Frauke Kreuter⁴  Samantha Chiu⁴  Adrianne Bradford⁴  Andres Garcia⁴  Christoph Kern⁵ 

[1] Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health;Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health;Facebook Research;Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland College Park;University of Mannheim;

关键词: COVID-19;    SARS-CoV-2;    Face mask;    Mask usage;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-021-12175-9

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

Unknown