Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39971586›Full record

SynthesisBMJ global health2025

Adherence to mask-wearing and its impact on the incidence and deaths of viral respiratory infectious diseases: a systematic review, meta-analysis and modelling study.

Can Chen, Wenkai Zhou, Jiaxing Qi, Mengsha Chen, Zhenglin Yuan, Jiani Miao, Mengya Yang, Jiaxin Chen, Fang Shen, Kexin Cao and 9 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ global health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. 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

19 authors.

Can Chen *Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Wenkai Zhou *Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Jiaxing Qi *Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Mengsha Chen *Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Zhenglin Yuan *Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Jiani MiaoDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Mengya YangDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Jiaxin ChenDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Fang ShenDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Kexin CaoDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Rongrong QuDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Daixi JiangDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Yuxia DuDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Xiaoyue WuDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Yue YouDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Rui YanDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Changtai Zhu *Department of Transfusion Medicine, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Shigui Yang *Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China yangshigui@zju.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0147-297X
RIDPHE Group

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study systematically analysed global and regional adherence to mask-wearing and its impact on the incidence and deaths of viral respiratory infectious diseases (VRIDs).

methodsRelevant studies were sourced from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Scopus. We included observational studies with available raw data on mask-wearing adherence (rates of acceptability of mask-wearing, mask-wearing in public settings and correct mask-wearing) during VRID pandemics/epidemics. The COVID-19-related incidence and deaths were sourced from Global Burden of Diseases 2021. The quality of each study was assessed using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Scale. Pooled rates and effects of mask-wearing were calculated using random effects models and generalised linear models.

resultsWe included 448 studies from 70 countries/regions. During the VRID pandemics/epidemics, global pooled rates for the acceptability of mask-wearing, mask-wearing in public settings and correct mask-wearing were 65.27% (95% CI 60.34% to 70.05%), 74.67% (95% CI 69.17% to 79.8%) and 63.63% (95% CI 59.28% to 67.87%), respectively. In individuals with chronic diseases/elderly/pregnant women, the rates of acceptability (42.54%) and correct mask-wearing (60.56%) were both low. Among the general population, the rates of mask-wearing in public settings (68.2%) and correct mask-wearing (57.45%) were the lowest. During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries with a requirement for mask-wearing exhibited a higher rate in public settings (76.10% vs 58.32%), especially in regions with more stringent containment and health measures (β=0.86, p=0.008). The mask-wearing in public settings has been found to significantly reduce the COVID-19 incidence (β=-265.26, p=0.004), COVID-19 deaths (β=-2.04, p<0.001) and other COVID-19 pandemic-related deaths (β=-0.83, p<0.001).

conclusionDuring the VRID pandemics/epidemics, adherence to mask-wearing was relatively low. Implementing policies requiring mask-wearing during the pandemic could enhance the mask-wearing rate, potentially leading to a significant reduction in VRID-related incidence and deaths. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42024496464.

Indexed as

COVID-19MasksRespiratory Tract InfectionsGlobal HealthHumansIncidencePandemicsSARS-CoV-2EpidemiologyGlobal HealthPublic Health

Identifiers

PMID39971586
PMCPMC11840920

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.