ArticleBMC public health2021
Reuse of face masks among adults in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Article 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 8 papers.
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
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Effects of Mask Reuse on the Oropharyngeal, Skin, and Mask Microbiome.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2023Trial
- Article
- Personal protective equipment availability and accessibility among nurses and midwives in selected urban general hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia: a cross-sectional study.The Pan African medical journal · 2023Article
- Unraveling the potential human health risks from used disposable face mask-derived micro/nanoplastics during the COVID-19 pandemic scenario: A critical review.Environment international · 2022Review
- Caring for Older People during and beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences of Residential Health Care Workers.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Effectiveness of Household Disinfection Techniques to Remove SARS-CoV-2 from Cloth Masks.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Prevalence and Factors Associated with the Reuse of Mask during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Survey in Taiwan.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Living in a Region With a Low Level of COVID-19 Infection: Health Belief Toward COVID-19 Vaccination and Intention to Receive a COVID-19 Vaccine in Hong Kong Individuals.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, over 99% of adults in Hong Kong use face masks in public. With the limited supply of face masks in the market and the uncertainty about the future development of COVID-19, reusing face masks is a legitimate way to reduce usage. Although this practice is not recommended, reusing face masks is common in Hong Kong. This study aimed to examine the practice of reusing face masks among adults in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with their health beliefs toward this health crisis.
methodsA cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. A quota sample of 1000 adults was recruited in Hong Kong in April 2020. Guided by the Health Belief Model, the subjects were invited to answer questions on their practice of reusing face masks and health beliefs toward COVID-19 through telephone interview. Their practice on reuse, storage, and decontamination of used face masks were summarized by descriptive statistics. The difference in health beliefs between the subjects who reused and did not reuse face masks was examined by conducting an independent t test. The association between health beliefs and reuse of face masks was determined by conducting a logistic regression analysis.
resultsOne-third (n = 345, 35.4%) of the subjects reused face masks in an average of 2.5 days. Among them, 207 subjects stored and 115 subjects decontaminated their used face masks by using various methods. The subjects who reused face masks significantly perceived having inadequate face masks (t = 3.905; p < 0.001). Having a higher level of perception of having inadequate face masks increased the likelihood of reusing face masks (OR = 0.784; CI 95%: 0.659-0.934; p = 0.006).
conclusionDespite having 90 face masks in stock, the adults who reused face masks significantly perceived that they had inadequate face masks. Concerted effort of health care professionals, community organizations, and the government will improve individuals' practice in use of face masks and alleviate their actual and perceived feeling of having inadequate face masks, which lead them to reuse.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.