Knowledge of COVID and perceived benefits are determinants most associated with face covering behaviour
What is this review about?
Wearing masks is important in preventing the spread of COVID in new waves. Face covering cannot be effective if the majority of society does not adopt this behaviour. So, it’s crucial to understand the changeable factors that affect this behaviour.
This review was interested in psychological or psychosocial determinants of face covering behaviour. To be included, determinants were malleable factors (factors that could be changed).
What is the aim of this review?
This Campbell systematic review examines the factors that influence wearing face masks. The review summarises evidence from 23 studies.
What are the main findings of this review?
What studies are included?
This review studied various factors that influence wearing face masks during COVID-19. We reviewed 23 studies. We analyzed the data within 10 studies and summarized the data in 16 studies narratively. The research was done in 9 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many studies had unclear quality. Three had methodological weaknesses, like lack of detail, such as who their sample was and how they measured face covering.
What determinants were associated with face covering?
Determinants that were associated with face covering included, knowledge of COVID, and perceived benefits. COVID concerns and worries did not affect face covering behaviour.
What do the findings of this review mean?
We need more studies on how knowledge of COVID and perceived benefit of face covering affects face covering behaviour. Future policies that try to prevent the spread of COVID or other respiratory diseases might also consider these factors.
How up-to-date is this review?
The review authors used search methods to find studies until October 2021.