ArticleJournal of transport & health2021
The face mask-touching behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: Observational study of public transportation users in the greater Paris region: The French-mask-touch study.
Article in Journal of transport & health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Enhancing hand hygiene compliance in healthcare environmental services staff: a systematic approach to indicator development.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2025Article
- Assessing the behavior of food handlers wearing face masks and the passage of bacteria through disposable masks.Brazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology] · 2025Article
- Refraining from spontaneous face touch is linked to personality traits, reduced memory performance and EEG changes.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- An evaluation of the impact of COVID-19 safety measures in public transit spaces on riders' Worry of virus contraction.Transport policy · 2023Article
- Medical Face Masks Do Not Affect Acid-Base Balance Yet Might Facilitate the Transmission ofInternational journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Filter Masks during the Second Phase of SARS-CoV-2: Study on Population.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Legal obligation in the general population: face mask influence on endophthalmitis after intravitreal injection.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2023Article
- Health and safety risks faced by delivery riders during the Covid-19 pandemic.Journal of transport & health · 2022Article
- The suppression of spontaneous face touch and resulting consequences on memory performance of high and low self-touching individuals.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Covid-19 need not spell the death of public transport: Learning from Hanoi's safety measures.Journal of transport & 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
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTo limit the spread of the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the World Health Organization recommends the use of face mask as a part of the pandemic control strategy. It has published also "best practices" in which it advises to avoid touching the mask while wearing it. This might be challenging. The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of mask-touching behavior in public transportation.
methodsObservational study using data collected in real life. This survey was conducted in subways and local trains of the greater Paris region, France, between May 4th and 25th, 2020. Public Transportation users were covertly observed. Demographic characteristics, type of mask and the main activity were collected by the investigator. The duration of observation, the frequency of touching face mask, hair and the uncovered area of the face were also recorded. Frequency of mask-touching per hour was determined.
resultsOne hundred eighty two persons were observed. The median of estimated age [1st and 3rd interquartile] was 35 [30;45] years and 87 (48%) were women. One hundred forty three (79%) were wearing surgical mask. The median time of observation was 8 [4;12] minutes. During this period, 87 (48%) persons touched their mask 15 [7.5;30] times per hour of whom only two (8%) have used hydroalcoholic solution to disinfect their hands.
conclusionsMask touching is frequent and is rarely followed by hand disinfection. Actions regarding mask use should be taken to improve 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.