tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Community Health
. 2023 Jun 14.
doi: 10.1007/s10900-023-01241-5. Online ahead of print. Observed face mask use outside retail chain stores during the COVID-19 pandemic in two cities in the state of Idaho, USA
Megan E Cahill[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Sujeith Barraza Lozoya[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Michelle A Griffin[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Anna Blackstock[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Kayden Stockdale[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Savannah Cowman[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Robert Graff[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Caile Spear[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Kris Carter[SUP] 3 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health authorities have encouraged the use of face masks to minimize transmission within the community. To assess mask wear during a COVID-19 surge and guide public health response efforts, including public messaging on mask recommendations, we compared observed mask use in the largest city in each of Idaho's 2 most populous counties, both without a current mask mandate. We recorded mask usage by every third person exiting stores of 5 retail chains in Boise and Nampa during November 8-December 5, 2021. Observations were conducted during three time periods (morning, afternoon, and evening) on weekday and weekend days. A multivariable model with city, retail chain, and city-chain interaction was used to assess mask wear differences by city for each chain. Of 3021 observed persons, 22.0% wore masks. In Boise, 31.3% (430/1376) of observed persons wore masks; in Nampa, 14.3% (236/1645) wore masks. Among all persons wearing masks, > 94% wore masks correctly; cloth and surgical masks were most common. By retail chain, observed individuals at Boise locations were 2.3-5.7 times as likely to wear masks than persons at respective Nampa locations. This study provided a rapid, nonconfrontational assessment of public use of mitigation measures in 2 Idaho cities during a COVID-19 surge.
Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Face masks; Observational study; Public health practice.
. 2023 Jun 14.
doi: 10.1007/s10900-023-01241-5. Online ahead of print. Observed face mask use outside retail chain stores during the COVID-19 pandemic in two cities in the state of Idaho, USA
Megan E Cahill[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Sujeith Barraza Lozoya[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Michelle A Griffin[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Anna Blackstock[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Kayden Stockdale[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Savannah Cowman[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Robert Graff[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Caile Spear[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Kris Carter[SUP] 3 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 37314630
- DOI: 10.1007/s10900-023-01241-5
During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health authorities have encouraged the use of face masks to minimize transmission within the community. To assess mask wear during a COVID-19 surge and guide public health response efforts, including public messaging on mask recommendations, we compared observed mask use in the largest city in each of Idaho's 2 most populous counties, both without a current mask mandate. We recorded mask usage by every third person exiting stores of 5 retail chains in Boise and Nampa during November 8-December 5, 2021. Observations were conducted during three time periods (morning, afternoon, and evening) on weekday and weekend days. A multivariable model with city, retail chain, and city-chain interaction was used to assess mask wear differences by city for each chain. Of 3021 observed persons, 22.0% wore masks. In Boise, 31.3% (430/1376) of observed persons wore masks; in Nampa, 14.3% (236/1645) wore masks. Among all persons wearing masks, > 94% wore masks correctly; cloth and surgical masks were most common. By retail chain, observed individuals at Boise locations were 2.3-5.7 times as likely to wear masks than persons at respective Nampa locations. This study provided a rapid, nonconfrontational assessment of public use of mitigation measures in 2 Idaho cities during a COVID-19 surge.
Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Face masks; Observational study; Public health practice.