Social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic
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...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1136980/full |
| _version_ | 1797840515940483072 |
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| author | Elvire Bornand Frédérique Letourneux Colin Deschanvres David Boutoille Jean-Christophe Lucet Didier Lepelletier Brice Leclere Séverine Mayol Nathan Peiffer-Smadja Nathan Peiffer-Smadja Nathan Peiffer-Smadja Gabriel Birgand Gabriel Birgand |
| author_facet | Elvire Bornand Frédérique Letourneux Colin Deschanvres David Boutoille Jean-Christophe Lucet Didier Lepelletier Brice Leclere Séverine Mayol Nathan Peiffer-Smadja Nathan Peiffer-Smadja Nathan Peiffer-Smadja Gabriel Birgand Gabriel Birgand |
| author_sort | Elvire Bornand |
| collection | DOAJ |
| 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T16:16:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fceddc15181948bd8868ed0937a2a377 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T16:16:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-fceddc15181948bd8868ed0937a2a3772023-04-24T04:38:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-04-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.11369801136980Social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemicElvire Bornand0Frédérique Letourneux1Colin Deschanvres2David Boutoille3Jean-Christophe Lucet4Didier Lepelletier5Brice Leclere6Séverine Mayol7Nathan Peiffer-Smadja8Nathan Peiffer-Smadja9Nathan Peiffer-Smadja10Gabriel Birgand11Gabriel Birgand12Centre Nantais de Sociologie (CENS), Université de Nantes, Nantes, FranceCentre G. Simmel, Ecole de Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Rennes, FranceDepartment of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Nantes and CIC 1413, INSERM, Nantes, FranceDepartment of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Nantes and CIC 1413, INSERM, Nantes, FranceEquipe de Prévention du Risque Infectieux, Claude Bernard Hospital, Assistance Publique—Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, FranceUnité de Gestion du Risque Infectieux, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, FranceDepartment of Medical Evaluation and Epidemiology, CHU Nantes, Nantes, FranceDepartment of Medical Evaluation and Epidemiology, CHU Nantes, Nantes, FranceUniversité Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, IAME, Paris, FranceInfectious and Tropical Diseases Department, Bichat—Claude Bernard Hospital, Assistance Publique—Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, FranceNIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance at Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, United KingdomNIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance at Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, United Kingdom0Center for the Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections Pays de la Loire, Nantes, FranceIntroductionAlthough 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.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1136980/fullCOVID-19maskfacemask behaviorinfection controlgeneral populationqualitative study analysis |
| spellingShingle | Elvire Bornand Frédérique Letourneux Colin Deschanvres David Boutoille Jean-Christophe Lucet Didier Lepelletier Brice Leclere Séverine Mayol Nathan Peiffer-Smadja Nathan Peiffer-Smadja Nathan Peiffer-Smadja Gabriel Birgand Gabriel Birgand Social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic Frontiers in Public Health COVID-19 mask facemask behavior infection control general population qualitative study analysis |
| title | Social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | COVID-19 mask facemask behavior infection control general population qualitative study analysis |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1136980/full |
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