Who is wearing a mask? Gender-, age-, and location-related differences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Masks are an effective tool in combatting the spread of COVID-19, but some people still resist wearing them and mask-wearing behavior has not been experimentally studied in the United States. To understand the demographics of mask wearers and resistors, and the impact of mandates on mask-wearing beh...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240785 |
| _version_ | 1819016323726835712 |
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| author | Michael H Haischer Rachel Beilfuss Meggie Rose Hart Lauren Opielinski David Wrucke Gretchen Zirgaitis Toni D Uhrich Sandra K Hunter |
| author_facet | Michael H Haischer Rachel Beilfuss Meggie Rose Hart Lauren Opielinski David Wrucke Gretchen Zirgaitis Toni D Uhrich Sandra K Hunter |
| author_sort | Michael H Haischer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Masks are an effective tool in combatting the spread of COVID-19, but some people still resist wearing them and mask-wearing behavior has not been experimentally studied in the United States. To understand the demographics of mask wearers and resistors, and the impact of mandates on mask-wearing behavior, we observed shoppers (n = 9935) entering retail stores during periods of June, July, and August 2020. Approximately 41% of the June sample wore a mask. At that time, the odds of an individual wearing a mask increased significantly with age and was also 1.5x greater for females than males. Additionally, the odds of observing a mask on an urban or suburban shopper were ~4x that for rural areas. Mask mandates enacted in late July and August increased mask-wearing compliance to over 90% in all groups, but a small percentage of resistors remained. Thus, gender, age, and location factor into whether shoppers in the United States wear a mask or face covering voluntarily. Additionally, mask mandates are necessary to increase mask wearing among the public to a level required to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T02:45:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-596a0cb885d64e8895fa51850958495f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T02:45:49Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-596a0cb885d64e8895fa51850958495f2022-12-21T19:18:34ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-011510e024078510.1371/journal.pone.0240785Who is wearing a mask? Gender-, age-, and location-related differences during the COVID-19 pandemic.Michael H HaischerRachel BeilfussMeggie Rose HartLauren OpielinskiDavid WruckeGretchen ZirgaitisToni D UhrichSandra K HunterMasks are an effective tool in combatting the spread of COVID-19, but some people still resist wearing them and mask-wearing behavior has not been experimentally studied in the United States. To understand the demographics of mask wearers and resistors, and the impact of mandates on mask-wearing behavior, we observed shoppers (n = 9935) entering retail stores during periods of June, July, and August 2020. Approximately 41% of the June sample wore a mask. At that time, the odds of an individual wearing a mask increased significantly with age and was also 1.5x greater for females than males. Additionally, the odds of observing a mask on an urban or suburban shopper were ~4x that for rural areas. Mask mandates enacted in late July and August increased mask-wearing compliance to over 90% in all groups, but a small percentage of resistors remained. Thus, gender, age, and location factor into whether shoppers in the United States wear a mask or face covering voluntarily. Additionally, mask mandates are necessary to increase mask wearing among the public to a level required to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240785 |
| spellingShingle | Michael H Haischer Rachel Beilfuss Meggie Rose Hart Lauren Opielinski David Wrucke Gretchen Zirgaitis Toni D Uhrich Sandra K Hunter Who is wearing a mask? Gender-, age-, and location-related differences during the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS ONE |
| title | Who is wearing a mask? Gender-, age-, and location-related differences during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| title_full | Who is wearing a mask? Gender-, age-, and location-related differences during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| title_fullStr | Who is wearing a mask? Gender-, age-, and location-related differences during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Who is wearing a mask? Gender-, age-, and location-related differences during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| title_short | Who is wearing a mask? Gender-, age-, and location-related differences during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| title_sort | who is wearing a mask gender age and location related differences during the covid 19 pandemic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240785 |
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