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. 2022 Jan:98:103616.
doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103616. Epub 2021 Oct 20.

Development and validation of the discomfort of cloth Masks-12 (DCM-12) scale

Joel M Mumma  1 , Ellen Jordan  2 , Oluwateniola Ayeni  2 , Noah Kaufman  2 , Marisa J Wheatley  3 , Amanda Grindle  3 , Jill Morgan  4
Affiliations

Development and validation of the discomfort of cloth Masks-12 (DCM-12) scale

Joel M Mumma et al. Appl Ergon. 2022 Jan.

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of face masks by the public has helped to slow the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the community. Cloth masks have been recommended because of their effectiveness, availability, and reusability. Like other types of face masks, however, user discomfort while wearing cloth masks is thought to engender behaviors that limit the effectiveness of cloth masks as source control (e.g., adjusting or removing one's mask temporarily while in public). To design cloth masks that are more tolerable, a measurement instrument for assessing subjective user discomfort is needed. Across two studies, we identified and confirmed a two-dimensional factor structure underlying the discomfort of cloth masks - discomfort related to the breathability and discomfort related to the tightness of the mask against the face and head. Additionally, we provide replicable evidence that both factor-subscales predict the self-reported frequencies of problematic mask-wearing behaviors.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cloth face masks; Discomfort.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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