Is the Messenger the Message? Canadian Political Affiliation and Other Predictors of Mask Wearing Frequency & Attitudes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

We used a longitudinal design to examine factors associated with Canadians’ (1) early adoption of maskwearing and (2) attitudes toward mask mandates before mandatory mask mandates were issued. In May 2020, 1,712 Canadians began a 28-day daily diary study tracking their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the associations between people’s political affiliation, psychological reactance, pre-existing risk factors, attitudes about the pandemic’s severity, attitudes about mask mandates, and public mask-wearing frequency. Growth curve analyses indicated that, over time, Canadians’ mask-wearing frequency and attitudes supporting mask mandates both increased. Those who perceived the pandemic as more serious had higher initial levels of both positive attitudes about mask mandates and mask-wearing frequency. Political affiliation was an important predictor of mask mandate attitudes, but only after May 20th, 2020: The first day Prime Minister Trudeau and Teresa Tam publicly stated they would be wearing masks in public. Subsequently, more liberally leaning participants reported more positive attitudes toward mask mandates compared to those with more conservative political views. These findings suggest the importance of cohesive, non-partisan messaging during a public health crisis to avoid political fractures in the uptake of recommended health behaviours. We provide recommendations for public health messengers toward improving voluntary compliance with public health measures, both during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic