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. 2024 Jun;11(3):1628-1642.
doi: 10.1007/s40615-023-01638-x. Epub 2023 May 31.

Attitudes, Beliefs, and Perceptions Associated with Mask Wearing within Four Racial and Ethnic Groups Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Giulia Earle-Richardson  1 , Ciara Nestor  2 , Kiva A Fisher  3 , Rieza H Soelaeman  2 , Renee M Calanan  2   4 , Daiva Yee  3 , Christina Craig  2 , Patricia Reese  2 , Christine E Prue  2
Affiliations

Attitudes, Beliefs, and Perceptions Associated with Mask Wearing within Four Racial and Ethnic Groups Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Giulia Earle-Richardson et al. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2024 Jun.

Abstract

Background: While previous studies have identified a range of factors associated with mask wearing in the US, little is known about drivers of mask-wearing among racial and ethnic minority groups. This analysis assessed whether factors positively associated with wearing a mask early in the pandemic differed between participants grouped by race/ethnicity (Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, and non-Hispanic White).

Method: Data were obtained from a US internet panel survey of 3217 respondents during May-November 2020 (weighted by race/ethnicity, age, gender, and education to the US national population). Within each of the four available racial/ethnic groups, crude and adjusted odds ratios (COR and AOR) were calculated using logistic regression to assess factors positively associated with wearing a mask. Adjusted models were controlled for age, gender, education, county COVID-19 case count, presence of a state-issued mask mandate, and interview month.

Results: The following variables were most strongly positively associated with mask wearing (p<0.05) in each racial/ethnic group: Hispanic-seeing others wearing masks (AOR: 6.7), importance of wearing a mask combined with social distancing (AOR: 3.0); non-Hispanic Black-belief that wearing a mask would protect others from coronavirus (AOR: 5.1), reporting hearing that one should wear a mask (AOR: 3.6); non-Hispanic Asian-belief that people important to them believe they should wear a mask (COR: 5.1, not statistically significant); and non-Hispanic White-seeing others wearing masks (AOR: 3.1), importance of wearing a mask (AOR: 2.3).

Conclusion: Public health efforts to encourage mask wearing should consider the diversity of behavioral influences within different population groups.

Keywords: Black/African American; COVID-19; Health equity; Hispanic health; Masks; SARS cov-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Theory-based model for associations assessed for mask wearing within four distinct social environments (lived experiences of race/ethnicity during COVID-19)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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