1. Adherence to COVID-19 Protective Measures in a Longitudinal Sample of Male Youth.
- Author
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Teferra, Andreas A., Alalwan, Mahmood A., Keller-Hamilton, Brittney, Roberts, Megan E., Lu, Bo, Paskett, Electra D., Chrzan, Kirsten, Curran, Hayley, and Ferketich, Amy K.
- Subjects
PREVENTION of infectious disease transmission ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,HEALTH behavior in adolescence ,MEDICAL protocols ,INFECTION control ,ADOLESCENT health ,RESEARCH funding ,HEALTH attitudes ,SOCIAL distancing ,ODDS ratio ,DEMOGRAPHY ,COVID-19 pandemic ,HEALTH self-care ,LONGITUDINAL method - Abstract
Background: Adherence to COVID-19 protective measures is lowest for young people and males. The current study investigated characteristics associated with adherence to COVID-19 protective measures among male youth during the early months of the pandemic. Method: The study used data from a prospective cohort study among male youth with baseline assessment in 2015/2016 and follow-up measurements in 2019 and summer 2020. Attrition-weighted multivariable ordinal logistic and log-binomial regression models were used to assess factors associated with adherence to overall and specific adherence measures, respectively. Results: Among 571 male youth (mean age 18.5), overall adherence was higher for those who were older (OR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.03–1.30), non-White (OR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.20–3.32), and residing in an urban area (OR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.46–3.01). Overall adherence was lower for those who had a history of being drunk (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.42–0.99). For outdoor mask-wearing, adherence was higher for youth with attention-deficit disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (RR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.16–1.97) and lower for youth who currently used tobacco products (RR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.21–0.70). Before a statewide mask mandate was issued, non-White youth were more likely to report wearing masks in outdoor spaces than their non-Hispanic White peers (RR: 2.34; 95% CI: 1.75–3.23). Conclusion: The study identified demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors associated with adherence to COVID-19 protective behaviors among male youth. The findings illustrate characteristics that could be leveraged for targeted preventive efforts during the ongoing pandemic and future outbreaks in a low-compliance group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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