Investigation of the Risk Awareness of Wearing Masks by the Public during COVID-19 According to the Health Belief Questionnaires of Shanxi Province Residents

Abstract

When some parts of the world are still debating whether the public wearing masks will help prevent and control the COVID-19. We have used questionnaires to investigate the wearing of masks and its influencing factors among residents in 11 cities in Shanxi Province. The questionnaire was designed based on the health belief model. We processed the collected data using the structural equation method. The results we got are as follows: (1) the average score of perceived severity is 3.14, indicating that the respondents had a strong sense of risk; (2) The average score of perceived benefits was 4.00, indicating that respondents thought that wearing masks can prevent COVID-19; (3) The average score of perceived barriers was 2.42, indicating that the respondents believed that there were fewer barriers against wearing masks during the epidemic; (4) The average score of perceived susceptibility was 3.23, indicating that respondents believed that they had a strong risk awareness of COVID-19 infection; (5) The average score of self-efficacy was 4.00, indicating that respondents had a strong belief in wearing masks correctly. The structural equation model shows that self-efficacy (λ = 0.40) and perceived susceptibility (λ = −0.15) had direct effects on the behavior of wearing masks. A wide range of mediating effects exists in the model. Perceived severity has an effect on the behavior of wearing masks through perceived susceptibility (λ = 0.41), perceived benefits through self-efficacy (λ = 0.68) and perceived susceptibility (λ = −0.35), and perceived barriers through self-efficacy (λ = −0.28). People are in the early adopter phase. Each dimension has a direct or indirect impact on the wearing of masks during the COVID-19 epidemic.