1. Face-touching behaviour as a possible correlate of mask-wearing: A video observational study of public place incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Author
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Liebst, Lasse S., Ejbye-Ernst, Peter, de Bruin, Marijn, Thomas, Josephine, and Lindegaard, Marie R.
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PUBLIC spaces , *COVID-19 pandemic , *MEDICAL masks , *FACE , *SCIENTIFIC observation , *MOUTH , *COVID-19 , *SECONDARY analysis - Abstract
Most countries in the world have recommended or mandated face masks in some or all public places during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, mask use has been thought to increase people's face-touching frequency and thus risk of self-inoculation. Across two studies, we video-observed the face-touching behaviour of members of the public in Amsterdam and Rotterdam (the Netherlands) during the first wave of the pandemic. Study 1 (n = 383) yielded evidence in favour of the absence of an association between mask-wearing and face-touching (defined as touches of face or mask), and Study 2 (n = 421) replicated this result. Secondary outcome analysis of the two studies--analysed separately and with pooled data sets--evidenced a negative association between mask-wearing and hand contact with the face and its t-zone (i.e. eyes, nose and mouth). In sum, the current findings alleviate the concern that mask-wearing has an adverse face-touching effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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