Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34501561›Full record

Trial reportInternational journal of environmental research and public health2021

The Effectiveness of Free Face Mask Distribution on Use of Face Masks. A Cluster Randomised Trial in Stovner District of Oslo, Norway.

Atle Fretheim, Ingeborg Hess Elgersma, Fredrik Aaeng Kristiansen, Caroline Rømming Varmbo, Miriam Kristine Salame Olsbø, Iselin Havstein Strand Glover, Martin Flatø

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Atle FretheimCentre for Epidemic Interventions Research, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0213 Oslo, Norway.
Ingeborg Hess ElgersmaHealth Services Division, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0213 Oslo, Norway.ORCID 0000-0002-3402-4049
Fredrik Aaeng KristiansenResearch Administrative Support, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0213 Oslo, Norway.
Caroline Rømming VarmboStovner District-Administration, 0985 Oslo, Norway.
Miriam Kristine Salame OlsbøStovner District-Administration, 0985 Oslo, Norway.
Iselin Havstein Strand GloverStovner District-Administration, 0985 Oslo, Norway.
Martin FlatøCentre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0213 Oslo, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Face masks are recommended as a means of reducing the spread of COVID-19, but there are practically no studies of interventions to increase face mask use. Over three weeks, nine grocery stores in the Stovner District of Oslo were randomly selected each day to have distribution of free face masks outside their entrance. Free face mask distribution increased the proportion of customers wearing a mask by 6.0 percentage points (adjusted, 95% CI 3.5-8.5). Mean mask usage was 91.7% in the control group and 97.1% in the treatment group (pooled SD 5.3%). Practically all those who wore masks had both nose and mouth covered. We conclude that free distribution of face masks increased their use. Similar trials can be conducted within a short period of time.

Indexed as

COVID-19MasksHumansNorwayNoseSARS-CoV-2COVID-19face masksinfection control

Identifiers

PMID34501561
PMCPMC8430712

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.