Mask Adherence and Social Distancing in Houston, TX from January to April 2021

Abstract

Shortly after the identification of COVID-19, public health experts recommended the use of face masks and social distancing to slow the spread of the virus. Early research indicates that there are associations between gender, age, and mask-wearing behavior. The primary aim of this paper was to explore how demographics, location, and mask mandates may affect COVID-19 mitigation strategies such as mask-wearing and social distancing. A prospective, cross-sectional observational study was conducted in Houston, TX from January to April 2021 at three outdoor locations: an urban park, an urban park with a trail, and a farmer’s market. During each two-hour data collection period, trained observers recorded the total number of people in the designated spaces; people were categorized by approximate age, sex, race/ethnicity, physical activity level, social distancing, and mask adherence using the Systematic Observation of Mask Adherence and Distancing (SOMAD) protocol. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine associations with gender, race, age, location, and the mask mandate. A total of 7778 observations were recorded after exclusion of inconclusive demographic data. Females had higher odds, reported as an odds ratio, of mask use than males (OR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.18–1.54). Compared to White individuals, Asian individuals had higher odds of mask use (OR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.48–2.30). The odds of mask use were higher while the Texas mask mandate was in effect (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.40–1.84). Regarding location, the odds of mask use were much higher in the urban park than in the urban park with a trail (OR = 13.33). Individuals had higher odds of social distancing at the urban park with a trail compared to the farmer’s market (OR = 4.61, 95% CI 4.10–5.17). Mask wearing and social distancing behaviors differ by demographics, locality, and mask mandate. Thus, state policies can be effective tools to encourage mask wearing for disease mitigation.

The relationship between masculinity and men’s COVID-19 safety precautions: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

“…The quantitative research predominantly examined men's attitudes toward and self-reported behaviors regarding mask wearing (Cassino & Besen-Cassino, 2020;Mahalik et al, 2021;Palmer & Peterson, 2020;Paramita et al, 2021;Reny, 2020). The finding that adherence to masculine norms is negatively related to mask wearing provide insight into the gender gap in mask wearing that has been well documented by observational studies (e.g., Howard, 2021;Trevas et al, 2023). Although observational studies show similar gender gaps regarding other precautions such as social distancing (e.g., Trevas et al, 2023), the present review found mixed evidence for the link between adherence to masculinity norms and nonmask wearing.…”

“…One factor that may contribute to this discrepancy is the differing rates of adherence to recommended COVID-19 safety precautions between genders. For instance, research has identified that, compared to women, men are less likely to wear masks (Okten et al, 2020), less likely to socially distance (Wang et al, 2022; Trevas et al, 2023), and less likely to practice frequent hand washing (Guzek et al, 2020). To understand the underlying drivers of this discrepancy, we can draw from the research into gender discrepancies across broader fields of health.…”

The influence of Group Heterogeneity on Mask-Wearing and Epidemic Coevolution: a Coupled Disease-Behavior Model

“…Although wearing masks in public has become a social norm (Betsch et al, 2020), the prevalence of masks has been uneven. Studies have found Asian populations to be more likely to wear masks in public than white populations (Trevas et al, 2023), and shoppers in urban or suburban areas are four times more likely to wear masks than shoppers in rural areas (Haischer et al, 2020). Indeed, Recent studies have indicated that attitudes and actions towards mask-wearing vary signi cantly among groups with different cultural backgrounds, education levels, or socioeconomic levels, even under the same external conditions, information, or policies (Joia, Michelotto & Lorenzo, 2022).…”