Facial Hair Decreases Fit Factor of Masks and Respirators in Healthcare Providers
In response to the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers are using common surgical masks and filtering respirators in conjunction with the presence of facial hair, which could lead to a large number of particles passing into their respiratory system. The purpose of this study...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/10/1031 |
| _version_ | 1797515284743979008 |
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| author | Borja De-Yñigo-Mojado Ricardo Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo Marta Elena Losa-Iglesias Javier Madera-García David Rodríguez-Sanz Cesar Calvo-Lobo Daniel López-López María Teresa Angulo-Carrere Marta San-Antolín |
| author_facet | Borja De-Yñigo-Mojado Ricardo Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo Marta Elena Losa-Iglesias Javier Madera-García David Rodríguez-Sanz Cesar Calvo-Lobo Daniel López-López María Teresa Angulo-Carrere Marta San-Antolín |
| author_sort | Borja De-Yñigo-Mojado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In response to the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers are using common surgical masks and filtering respirators in conjunction with the presence of facial hair, which could lead to a large number of particles passing into their respiratory system. The purpose of this study was to determine the fit factor effectiveness of filtering respirators and surgical masks in bearded versus non-bearded healthcare providers. A controlled randomized clinical trial (NCT04391010) was carried out, analyzing a sample of 63 healthcare providers. The fit factors of surgical masks and FFP3 filtering respirators for healthcare providers with (<i>n</i> = 32) and without (<i>n</i> = 31) facial hair were compared. Fit factors were measured during an exercises protocol in which healthcare providers wore surgical masks and FFP3 filtering respirators. Surgical mask fit factor comparisons did not show significant differences (<i>p</i> > 0.05) between healthcare providers with and without facial hair. In contrast, filtering respirator fit factor comparisons showed statistically significant differences (<i>p</i> < 0.01) between both groups, indicating that healthcare providers with facial hair showed lower fit factor scores, which implies a worse fit factor with respect to healthcare providers without facial hair. The fit factor effectiveness of filtering respirators was reduced in healthcare providers with facial hair. The authors of this paper encourage healthcare providers to trim their beards during filtering respirator use or wear full-mask filtering facepiece respirators, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:43:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-51544b5374f64c86802247292186c101 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:43:21Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-51544b5374f64c86802247292186c1012023-11-22T17:28:42ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372021-10-011010103110.3390/biology10101031Facial Hair Decreases Fit Factor of Masks and Respirators in Healthcare ProvidersBorja De-Yñigo-Mojado0Ricardo Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo1Marta Elena Losa-Iglesias2Javier Madera-García3David Rodríguez-Sanz4Cesar Calvo-Lobo5Daniel López-López6María Teresa Angulo-Carrere7Marta San-Antolín8Facultad de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Podología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainFacultad de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Podología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainFaculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, SpainDepartment of direction, Staub Engineering, 33007 Oviedo, SpainFacultad de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Podología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainFacultad de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Podología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainResearch, Health and Podiatry Group, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry, Universidade da Coruña, 15403 Ferrol, SpainFacultad de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Podología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Psychology, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, SpainIn response to the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers are using common surgical masks and filtering respirators in conjunction with the presence of facial hair, which could lead to a large number of particles passing into their respiratory system. The purpose of this study was to determine the fit factor effectiveness of filtering respirators and surgical masks in bearded versus non-bearded healthcare providers. A controlled randomized clinical trial (NCT04391010) was carried out, analyzing a sample of 63 healthcare providers. The fit factors of surgical masks and FFP3 filtering respirators for healthcare providers with (<i>n</i> = 32) and without (<i>n</i> = 31) facial hair were compared. Fit factors were measured during an exercises protocol in which healthcare providers wore surgical masks and FFP3 filtering respirators. Surgical mask fit factor comparisons did not show significant differences (<i>p</i> > 0.05) between healthcare providers with and without facial hair. In contrast, filtering respirator fit factor comparisons showed statistically significant differences (<i>p</i> < 0.01) between both groups, indicating that healthcare providers with facial hair showed lower fit factor scores, which implies a worse fit factor with respect to healthcare providers without facial hair. The fit factor effectiveness of filtering respirators was reduced in healthcare providers with facial hair. The authors of this paper encourage healthcare providers to trim their beards during filtering respirator use or wear full-mask filtering facepiece respirators, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/10/1031community health workersfiltrationhairmasksrespiratory protective devices |
| spellingShingle | Borja De-Yñigo-Mojado Ricardo Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo Marta Elena Losa-Iglesias Javier Madera-García David Rodríguez-Sanz Cesar Calvo-Lobo Daniel López-López María Teresa Angulo-Carrere Marta San-Antolín Facial Hair Decreases Fit Factor of Masks and Respirators in Healthcare Providers Biology community health workers filtration hair masks respiratory protective devices |
| title | Facial Hair Decreases Fit Factor of Masks and Respirators in Healthcare Providers |
| title_full | Facial Hair Decreases Fit Factor of Masks and Respirators in Healthcare Providers |
| title_fullStr | Facial Hair Decreases Fit Factor of Masks and Respirators in Healthcare Providers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Facial Hair Decreases Fit Factor of Masks and Respirators in Healthcare Providers |
| title_short | Facial Hair Decreases Fit Factor of Masks and Respirators in Healthcare Providers |
| title_sort | facial hair decreases fit factor of masks and respirators in healthcare providers |
| topic | community health workers filtration hair masks respiratory protective devices |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/10/1031 |
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