Wearing a face covering in public is dependent upon how often people observe others wearing them, according to national research. Other important motivating factors are among the findings of a study undertaken by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through lead author Jack Barile, interim director of the Social Science Research Institute, and multiple co-authors.
Surveyed were more than 1,000 U.S. adults, ages 18 and older, who are representative of the U.S. population by gender, age, region, race/ethnicity and education.
“In this study, we examined what motivators are behind an individual’s choice to wear or not wear a face covering in public,” said Barile, a Psychology associate professor. “This understanding is critical to developing successful messaging strategies to encourage acceptance and use of face coverings to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.”
The study suggests that being female, perceived importance of others wanting the respondent to wear a face covering, confidence to wear a face covering and perceived importance of personal face covering use were all factors positively associated with intention to wear a face covering in public.
No evidence was found that a perceived susceptibility to becoming ill and a perceived severity of COVID-19 correlated with an increase in the intent to use a face covering in public.
“The survey allowed us to explore both the barriers and facilitators to the public’s use of face coverings, as well as to identify possible pathways through which the use of face coverings while in public could be increased among the U.S. population,” Barile said. “Based on our findings, it is possible that messaging strategies that focus on susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19 may not be as effective as targeting actions that influence individual intentions and social norms.”
The study was published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, the Society of Behavioral Medicine’s flagship journal. It publishes original empirical articles on behavioral medicine and the integration of biological, psychosocial and behavioral factors and principles.
