Understanding face mask use to prevent coronavirus and other illnesses: Development of a multidimensional face mask perceptions scale.

ABSTRACT: Face masks are an avenue to curb the spread of coronavirus, but few people in Western societies wear face masks. Social scientists have rarely studied face mask wearing, leaving little guidance for methods to encourage these behaviours. In the current article, we provide an approach to address this issue by developing the 32-item and 8-dimension Face Mask Perceptions Scale (FMPS). We begin by developing an over-representative item list in a qualitative study, wherein participants' responses are used to develop items to ensure content relevance. This item list is then reduced via exploratory factor analysis in a second study, and the eight dimensions of the scale are supported. We also support the validity of the FMPS, as the scale significantly relates to both face mask wearing and health

SUBMITTER: Howard MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7361913 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature