Department of Public Health, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America.
School of Communication, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2024 Sep 25;19(9):e0308841. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308841. eCollection 2024.
Understanding the motivations and barriers populations face in respiratory protection during a pandemic is key to effective primary prevention. The goal of this study was to identify the impact of various motivational factors on individual choice of masks or respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey study included a sample of 619 participants between the ages of 18 to 75 years old and English speaking, who were asked about factors that affected their choice of masks or respirators between the months of April 2020 and May 2021. Participants showed a positive association between choice of respirator and being male, perceived comfort and trust in respirators, importance of personalization, and trust in information from family or friends. In addition, positive associations were found between income, education, and the amount of trust in CDC, WHO, and local/state health departments. Results indicate the need for increased education on attributes of each mask or respirator, review of respirator fit, research into specific areas of discomfort, and outreach efforts to vulnerable populations.
了解人群在大流行期间进行呼吸防护所面临的动机和障碍是有效初级预防的关键。本研究的目的是确定在 COVID-19 大流行期间，各种动机因素对个人选择口罩或呼吸器的影响。这项调查研究包括 619 名年龄在 18 至 75 岁之间、讲英语的参与者，他们被问及在 2020 年 4 月至 2021 年 5 月期间影响他们选择口罩或呼吸器的因素。参与者表示，选择呼吸器与性别、对呼吸器的舒适性和信任度、个性化的重要性以及对家人或朋友信息的信任之间存在正相关关系。此外，还发现收入、教育程度与对 CDC、WHO 和当地/州卫生部门的信任之间存在正相关关系。结果表明，需要加强对每种口罩或呼吸器的属性的教育，对呼吸器的适配性进行审查，对特定不适区域进行研究，并向弱势群体开展宣传工作。
