Mask Adherence and the Relationship Between Masking and Weather-Related Metrics

This study aimed to (1) observe students ’ adherence to on-campus mask mandates and (2) estimate the effect of weather on mask-wearing. Temple University partnered in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s observational Mask Adherence Surveillance at Colleges and Universities Project. February–April 2021, weekly observation s were completed at 12 on-campus locations to capture whether individuals wore masks, wore them correctly, and the type of mask worn. Fashion and university masks also were recorded. Weekly average temperature, humidity, and precipitation were calculated. Descriptive statistics were calculated for m asking adherence overall, over time, and by location. Statistical significance was assessed between correct mask use and mask type and the linear relationships between weekly weather metrics and mask use. Overall, 3508 individuals were observed with 89.6% wearing masks. Of those, 89.4% correctly wor e masks. Cloth (58.7%) and surgical masks (35.3%) were most commonly observed and 21.3% wore fashion masks. N95/KN95 masks were correctly worn in 98.3% of observations and surgical and cloth masks were correctly worn ~ 90% of the time. Weekly adherence varied over time and by campus location. Si gnificant inverse linear relationships existed between weekly temperature (r = – 0.72; p <  0.05) and humidity (r = – 0.63; p ≤ 0.05) and masking. Mask adherence and correct use was high. Temperature and humidity inversely aff...
Source: Journal of Community Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research