Dataset Information

Psychological factors responsible for low adherence to mask-wearing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to >6 million deaths. Anti-mask movements may decrease the effects of preventive measures. Psychological factors that may be related to anti-mask behaviour are not well researched.

Aims

This study aims to determine the psychological correlates of anti-mask attitudes and behaviour in an online general population sample, focusing on the possible role of claustrophobia.

Method

Data on attitudes and behaviour toward mask-wearing were collected from an online sample of 3709 people. Predictors of both anti-mask attitudes and behaviour were assessed with linear and logistic regression analyses.

Results

Few people (3.3%) were overtly opposed to mask-wearing; mask opposition was more common in men than women. Predictors of negative attitude toward mask-wearing and low adherence to mask-related measures were similar and included male gender, lower education, lower income, being employed, having had COVID-19 and lower COVID-19-related anxiety. Psychopathology measures did not show a prediction, whereas claustrophobia had a significant prediction that was over and above those of other predictors. Avoidance behaviour had similar predictors, except for higher COVID-19-related anxiety.

Conclusions

Although low adherence to mask-wearing during the pandemic was not related to having a mental disorder, it may partly be caused by psychological factors. Those who had a negative attitude also reported lower adherence behaviour, and were characterised by being male, having lower education, being employed and having lower COVID-19-related anxiety; claustrophobia was a strong predictor of attitude. Understanding psychological factors responsible for low adherence may help to decrease morbidity and mortality in future pandemics.

SUBMITTER: Kılıc C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9744457 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Psychological factors responsible for low adherence to mask-wearing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kılıç Cengiz C Yıldız M İrem Mİ Emekli Esra E Gülşen Gülhan G Alp Anıl A

BJPsych open 20221123 6

<h4>Background</h4>The COVID-19 pandemic has led to >6 million deaths. Anti-mask movements may decrease the effects of preventive measures. Psychological factors that may be related to anti-mask behaviour are not well researched.<h4>Aims</h4>This study aims to determine the psychological correlates of anti-mask attitudes and behaviour in an online general population sample, focusing on the possible role of claustrophobia.<h4>Method</h4>Data on attitudes and behaviour toward mask-wearing were col ...[more]

PMID: 36416230

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Project description:IntroductionAlthough one of the most prominent interventions against COVID-19, face masks seem poorly adopted by the general population. A growing body of literature has found that using face masks has social meaning. This qualitative study assessed the perceptions, representations and practices of mask wearing in the general population.MethodsA qualitative survey by short semi-structured walking interviews was carried out from April to December 2021 in 11 cities in France's Pays de la Loire region. Study locations were selected for their varied geographical, social, and economic characteristics, with urbanized and rural areas. Four domains linked to perceptions of masks and wearing them were explored: (i) evolution in mask wearing, (ii) decision-making methods for wearing and not wearing; (iii) incorporating the mask into way of life; (iv) projecting into the future.ResultsA total of 116 people were interviewed. Masks marked a shift from the ordinary world to the pandemic. Overall, interviewees considered masks an obstacle to breathing, communication, and social interactions, leading to establishing strategies circumventing the mask mandate. Poor attention was paid to their medical usefulness as an obligatory clothing accessory. Mask-wearing decisions were driven by social relations, common sense, and vulnerability. The greater the feeling of security (i.e., being with close relatives), the less it was worn or worn properly, with decreased attention to others and their health. Most participants did not remember learning to wear a mask. Some were convinced that mask-wearing could not be learned (experiential knowledge). Institutions (school and work) played a central role by facilitating incorporation of masks into daily life.ConclusionsThis study emphasizes the need to reinforce the individual medical values of face masks to prevent COVID-19. Ambitious education and training programmes should be planned to learn how and when to wear masks. Institutions (work and school) may be critical for this purpose.

Project description:Urban overheating (due to climate change and urbanization) and COVID-19 are two converging crises that must be addressed in tandem. Fine-scale, place-based, people-centric biometeorological and behavioral data are needed to implement context-specific preventative measures such as mask-wearing. This study collected local biometeorological measurements in diverse urban spaces (square, urban park, river quay) in Novi Sad, Serbia on hot sunny summer days (27-30 August 2020) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Observations were supplemented by an online survey asking questions about thermal sensation, comfort, and concurrent protective behavior of the local population. Biometeorological measurements show that the main square in the city center was the most thermally uncomfortable area. According to the survey, it was also perceived as the least safe space to not contract the virus. The urban park was perceived as the most thermally comfortable area in the morning and during midday. It was also considered the safest urban space for outdoor activities. In the evening, the river quay was the most thermally comfortable area in the city. Intra-urban differences in Physiologically Equivalent Temperatures were highest during midday, while differences in air temperatures were highest in the evening. More than 70% of the respondents did not wear face masks when it was hot because of breathing issues and feeling warmer than without mask. Most people wearing a mask felt "slightly warm" in the morning and evening, while the majority of respondents felt "hot" during midday. Only 3% of the respondents felt comfortable while wearing a mask, while 97% experienced some degree of discomfort (from slight discomfort to very uncomfortable). Our study shows that fine scale temporal and spatial urban biometeorological data and population surveys should be included in decision-making processes during the pandemic to develop climate-sensitive health services that are place-based, people-centric, and facilitate planning towards green, resilient, and inclusive cities.

Dataset Information

Psychological factors responsible for low adherence to mask-wearing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

Aims

Method

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Psychological factors responsible for low adherence to mask-wearing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similar Datasets

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