Observational studyBMC public health2021
Use of masks in public places in Poland during SARS-Cov-2 epidemic: a covert observational study.
Observational study in BMC public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 42 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission during a large, live, indoor gathering (SPRING): a non-inferiority, randomised, controlled trial.The Lancet. Infectious diseases · 2022Trial
- Challenges of face identification with varied mask coverage in the post COVID-19 era.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- The causal relationship model of factors influencing COVID-19 preventive behaviors during the post-pandemic era and implications for health prevention strategies: a case of Bangkok City, Thailand.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Effects of Target Variables on Interpersonal Distance Perception for Young Taiwanese during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- The influence of social conformity on mask-wearing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic.Heliyon · 2023Article
- High rates of observed face mask use at Colorado universities align with students' opinions about masking and support the safety and viability of in-person higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Article
- Investigating public behavior with artificial intelligence-assisted detection of face mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic.PloS one · 2023Article
- Effect of mask coverage on face identification in Taiwanese men and women.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- Methods to Evaluate COVID-19 Preventive Hygiene Programs: Observed Mask Wearing, Handwashing, and Physical Distancing Behaviors in Public Indoor Spaces in Democratic Republic of the Congo.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2022Observational
- Compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures is high among university-level students in Québec, Canada.Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada · 2022Article
- Data-driven case fatality rate estimation for the primary lineage of SARS-CoV-2 in Poland.Methods (San Diego, Calif.) · 2022Article
- Modeling COVID-19 Mortality Across 44 Countries: Face Covering May Reduce Deaths.American journal of preventive medicine · 2022Article
- COVID-appropriate facemask use: A study among patients attending outpatient Departments of a Public Health Institute in West Bengal.Journal of education and health promotion · 2022Article
- An internet-based cross-sectional study on infection control practices and drug use for COVID-19 prevention in Nigerian adults.The Pan African medical journal · 2022Article
- Factors affecting face mask-wearing behaviors to prevent COVID-19 among Thai people: A binary logistic regression model.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors and Influencing Factors in the Thai Population: A Web-Based Survey.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Adherence to Coronavirus Disease 2019 Preventive Measures in a Representative Sample of the Population of the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland.International journal of public health · 2022Observational
- Non-adherence to preventive behaviours during the COVID-19 epidemic: findings from a community study.BMC public health · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFace masks have been employed in the COVID-19 pandemic plans as a public and personal health control measure against the spread of SARS-CoV-2. In Poland, obligatory wearing of masks in public spaces was introduced on April 10th, 2020; a relaxation of previous universal measures was announced on May 29th, 2020, limiting use to indoor public places.
objectiveTo assess use of masks or other protective devices in public spaces in Poland during the SARS-Cov-2 epidemic.
methodsA non-participatory covert observational study was conducted on three dates, (10.05/18.05/25.05.2020) at public spaces in 13 regions with different risks. Ten consecutive individuals were observed by each of 82 medical students (n = 2460 observations), using a structured checklist.
resultsAmong 2353 observed persons, the female/male ratios were 1.0, 1.1, and 1.0 on the three dates. Almost three quarters - 73.6% (n = 552/750) were using masks on date 1, 66.5% (544/818) on date 2; and 65.7% (516/785) on date 3. Cloth masks predominated on all dates (64.7-62.3%-62.6%), followed by medical (23.4-28.5%-26.9%). Being female (OR = 1.77-1.47-1.53 respectively) and location in a closed space (OR = 2.60-2.59-2.32) were each associated with higher usage. Participants in sports were about two times less likely to use masks (OR = 0.64-0.53-0.53) as compared to other activities. The proportion using masks correctly decreased gradually over time (364/552; 65.9%; 339/544; 62.3% and 304/516; 58.9%). More females wore masks correctly (date 1: 205/294; 69.7% vs 159/258; 61.6%, and date 3: 186/284; 65.5% vs 118/232; 50.9%; p = 0.045; p = 0.0008 respectively). Uncovered noses (47.3-52.7%) and masks around the neck (39.2-42.6%) were the most frequent incorrect practices.
conclusionsPractices were not in line with official recommendations, especially among males, and deteriorated over time. Cloth masks were predominantly used in public spaces. Health promotion, through utilizing all available communication channels, would be helpful to increase compliance.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.