Belief in Protecting Others and Social Perceptions of Face Mask Wearing Were Associated With Frequent Mask Use in the Early Stages of the COVID Pandemic in the UK.

ABSTRACT: Face masks are now seen as a key tool in the world's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, during the early stages of the outbreak, face mask use in the United Kingdom (UK) was significantly lower than that of countries equally impacted by the virus. We were interested to explore whether social cognitions played a role in levels of mask wearing. A cross-sectional online survey of UK adults (n=908) was conducted in July 2020. Estimated face mask use and thoughts about wearing face masks were assessed using measures developed for this study. Participants also answered questions about their general mood, social anxiety and basic demographic data. Multiple regression was used to examine factors associated with mask wearing. Participants' estimated mask wearing was low when in pu

SUBMITTER: Warnock-Parkes E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8569128 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature