High rates of observed face mask use at Colorado universities align with students’ opinions about masking and support the safety and viability of in-person higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic

BMC Public Health

Research

Camille L. Paige¹  Kristen K. Bjorkman¹  Sara L. Sawyer¹  Michaila Czarnik²  Margaret A. Riggs²  Margaret J. Gutilla³  Raissa Huntley³  Maximilian J. Bailey⁴  Stefan Wasshuber⁴  Kevin C. Clark⁴  Tanya L. Alderete⁴  Leisha Conners Bauer⁵ 

[1] BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States of America;CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response Team, Atlanta, GA, United States of America;Colorado School of Public Health, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America;Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States of America;Health and Wellness Services, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States of America;

关键词: United States;    Colleges;    Universities;    Institutes of higher education;    Mask Use;    COVID-19;    Student opinions;    Student Health;    Mask adherence;    Mask mandates;    MASCUP!;    SARS-CoV-2;    Prevention;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-023-15211-y

 received in 2022-09-08, accepted in 2023-02-03,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundOver the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities have focused on creating policies, such as mask mandates, to minimize COVID-19 transmission both on their campuses and in the surrounding community. Adherence to and opinions about these policies remain largely unknown.MethodsThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a cross-sectional study, the Mask Adherence and Surveillance at Colleges and Universities Project (MASCUP!), to objectively and inconspicuously measure rates of mask use at institutes of higher education via direct observation. From February 15 through April 11, 2021 the University of Colorado Boulder (CU, n = 2,808 observations) and Colorado State University Fort Collins (CSU, n = 3,225 observations) participated in MASCUP! along with 52 other institutes of higher education (n = 100,353 observations) spanning 21 states and the District of Columbia. Mask use was mandatory at both Colorado universities and student surveys were administered to assess student beliefs and attitudes.ResultsWe found that 91.7%, 93.4%, and 90.8% of persons observed at indoor locations on campus wore a mask correctly at University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and across the 52 other schools, respectively. Student responses to questions about masking were in line with these observed rates of mask use where 92.9% of respondents at CU and 89.8% at CSU believe that wearing masks can protect the health of others. Both Colorado universities saw their largest surges in COVID-19 cases in the fall of 2020, with markedly lower case counts during the mask observation window in the spring of 2021.ConclusionHigh levels of mask use at Colorado’s two largest campuses aligned with rates observed at other institutes across the country. These high rates of use, coupled with positive student attitudes about mask use, demonstrate that masks were widely accepted and may have contributed to reduced COVID-19 case counts. This study supports an emerging body of literature substantiating masks as an effective, low-cost measure to reduce disease transmission and establishes masking (with proper education and promotion) as a viable tactic to reduce respiratory disease transmission on college campuses.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

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