Behavior in the use of face masks in the context of COVID-19

Abstract

Objectives: Investigation of potential erroneous behavior in the general public's use of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: We conducted a naturalistic observational study in the period from April to June 2020. Sample: In two western Austrian provinces, a total of 2080 persons were observed in front of 24 grocery stores. Measurement: The frequencies and types of erroneous behavior in the use of face masks were collected using a standardized observation form. Results: A total of 2080 persons were observed. Almost one-third of all observations (n = 648; 31.2%) showed erroneous behavior before positioning the face masks. Another 935 (45.0%) persons touched the face mask front during the adjustment via mouth and nose, 501 (24.1%) persons touched the face mask front in the period after the adjustment. A total of 116 (5.6%) persons showed erroneous behavior in each sequence of the observation unit. Overall, almost half of all people observed showed at least one erroneous behavior within the observation period. Conclusions: The behavior of the general public in handling face masks is highly error-prone. Decision makers must increasingly provide accompanying information and educational measures in order to encourage the population at risk to use face masks correctly.