ArticleJournal of advanced nursing2021
Fit factor compliance of masks and FFP3 respirators in nurses: A case-control gender study.
Article in Journal of advanced nursing, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 3 of them syntheses 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.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Masks and respirators for prevention of respiratory infections: a state of the science review.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The influence of gender and ethnicity on facemasks and respiratory protective equipment fit: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ global health · 2021Pooled it
- Evaluating the fit and performance of flat-fold, cup, and three-panel respirators among Thai healthcare personnel.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Facile method for 3D printing conformally onto uneven surfaces and its application to face masks.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- The effect of N95 designs on respirator fit and its associations with gender and facial dimensions.PloS one · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsTo determine the fit factor and compliance with American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements of surgical masks and filtering respirators in male versus female nurses.
designA case-control gender study performed from 2016 to 2019.
methodsA gender and age matched-paired sample of 74 nurses was recruited and divided into men (n = 37) and women (n = 37). FFP3 filtering respirators and surgical masks fit factors were compared between male and female nurses by Mann-Whitney U tests. These measurements were tested to pass or fail according to the OSHA (≥100) and AIHA (≥50) criteria by Fisher exact tests for a 95% confidence interval.
resultsGlobal fit factor mean (standard deviation) was 2.86 (2.73) and 3.55 (6.34) for male and female nurses wearing surgical masks (p = .180), respectively, and nobody passed neither OSHA nor AIHA criteria (p = 1.00). Nevertheless, global fit factor were 30.82 (28.42) and 49.65 (43.04) for male and female nurses wearing FFP3 respirators, respectively, being significantly lower and worse in male nurses (p = .037). According to OSHA criteria, only 2.70% and 13.51% of male and females nurses, respectively, passed with non-significant difference (p = .199), meanwhile 21.62% and 48.64% of male and female nurses, respectively, passed AIHA criteria showing significant differences (p = .027) wearing FFP3 respirators.
conclusionsAll male and female nurses wearing surgical masks failed to pass OSHA and AIHA criteria. Global fit factor of the proposed FFP3 filtering respirators was decreased and worse in male than female nurses. IMPACT: Our recommendation is to avoid surgical masks use for protective purposes and use the proposed FFP3 filtering respirators among nurses. Each nurse should be fit tested for its own respirator with special caution in male nurses due to their lower fit factor achieved and most of them failed to pass OSHA and AIHA criteria, especially during COVID-19 pandemic.
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