Exploring adolescents' experiences of continuing to wear face masks during COVID-19: A qualitative descriptive study in Barcelona (Spain).
COVID-19
adolescents
face masks
qualitative research
Journal
Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy
ISSN: 1369-7625
Titre abrégé: Health Expect
Pays: England
ID NLM: 9815926
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Apr 2024
Apr 2024
Historique:
revised:
22
01
2024
received:
26
09
2023
accepted:
25
02
2024
medline:
13
3
2024
pubmed:
13
3
2024
entrez:
13
3
2024
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted the use of face masks as a social distancing measure. Although evidence supports their effectiveness in preventing infection, it remains unclear why some adolescents choose to continue wearing them postpandemic, even when it is no longer mandatory. This study aims to explore adolescents' experiences of wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic when their use was no longer mandatory. In this exploratory qualitative study, data were collected from 16 adolescents through face-to-face semistructured interviews. The participants were asked about the reasons and feelings associated with continuing to wear masks, as well as the contexts in which they felt safe without a mask. The collected data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. Three main themes were identified: (1) Navigating complex decision-making: balancing safety and self-image, (2) peer influence dynamics and (3) managing the future: weather dynamics and pandemic evolution. The potential implications of withdrawing COVID-19 preventive measures, such as mask-wearing, beyond the pandemic remain understudied. It is crucial to further investigate the perceptions related to wearing masks and its cessation, especially amongst vulnerable individuals. Due to methodological constraints associated with participants' age, they were not engaged in the design, data analysis, data interpretation or manuscript preparation phases of the study.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted the use of face masks as a social distancing measure. Although evidence supports their effectiveness in preventing infection, it remains unclear why some adolescents choose to continue wearing them postpandemic, even when it is no longer mandatory. This study aims to explore adolescents' experiences of wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic when their use was no longer mandatory.
METHOD
METHODS
In this exploratory qualitative study, data were collected from 16 adolescents through face-to-face semistructured interviews. The participants were asked about the reasons and feelings associated with continuing to wear masks, as well as the contexts in which they felt safe without a mask. The collected data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Three main themes were identified: (1) Navigating complex decision-making: balancing safety and self-image, (2) peer influence dynamics and (3) managing the future: weather dynamics and pandemic evolution.
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
The potential implications of withdrawing COVID-19 preventive measures, such as mask-wearing, beyond the pandemic remain understudied. It is crucial to further investigate the perceptions related to wearing masks and its cessation, especially amongst vulnerable individuals.
PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION
UNASSIGNED
Due to methodological constraints associated with participants' age, they were not engaged in the design, data analysis, data interpretation or manuscript preparation phases of the study.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
e14014Subventions
Organisme : Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya
Informations de copyright
© 2024 The Authors. Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Références
Cherecheș JO, Vaida L, Moca AE, Dima R, Ciavoi G, Bembea M. Orthodontic adolescent patients' attitudes toward protective face mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Medicina. 2022;58(3):393. doi:10.3390/medicina58030393
Mollborn S, Mercer KH, Edwards-Capen T. “Everything is Connected”: health lifestyles and teenagers' social distancing behaviors in the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociol Perspect. 2021;64(5):920-938. doi:10.1177/07311214211005488
Zhao X, Knobel P. Face mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic: comparing perceptions in China and three European countries. Transl Behav Med. 2021;11(6):1199-1204. doi:10.1093/tbm/ibab043
Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. 2023. https://swedish-presidency.consilium.europa.eu/en/news/deactivation-of-ipcr-for-covid-19-and-the-devastating-earthquakes-in-tuerkiye-and-syria/?etrans=es
Matuschek C, Moll F, Fangerau H, et al. Face masks: benefits and risks during the COVID-19 crisis. Eur J Med Res. 2020;25(1):32. doi:10.1186/s40001-020-00430-5
Huang J, Fisher BT, Tam V, et al. The effectiveness of government masking mandates on COVID-19 county-level case incidence across the United States, 2020. Health Aff. 2022;41(3):445-453. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01072
Gobierno de España. Prevention, Hygiene and Promotion Measures Health Against Covid-19 for Educational Centers in the 2021-2022 Course. Ministerio de Salud-Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional; 2021. https://www.sanidad.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov/documentos/COVID19_Medidas_centros_educativos_Curso_2021_2022.pdf
Gobierno de España. Royal decree that modifies the mandatory use of masks during the health crisis situation caused by COVID-19. 2022. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2022/04/20/pdfs/BOE-A-2022-6449.pdf
Goldstein A, Flicker S. “Some things just won't go back”: teen girls' online dating relationships during COVID-19. Girlhood Stud. 2020;13:64-78. doi:10.3167/ghs.2020.130306
Cohen AK, Hoyt LT, Dull B. A descriptive study of COVID-19-related experiences and perspectives of a national sample of college students in Spring 2020. J Adolesc Health. 2020;67(3):369-375. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.06.009
Oosterhoff B, Palmer CA, Wilson J, Shook N. Adolescents' motivations to engage in social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic: associations with mental and social health. J Adolesc Health. 2020;67(2):179-185. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.05.004
Howard J, Huang A, Li Z, et al. An evidence review of face masks against COVID-19. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2021;118(4):e2014564118. doi:10.1073/pnas.2014564118
Galasso V, Pons V, Profeta P, Becher M, Brouard S, Foucault M. Gender differences in COVID-19 attitudes and behavior: panel evidence from eight countries. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2020;117(44):27285-27291. doi:10.1073/pnas.2012520117
Bordas A, Soriano-Arandes A, Subirana M, et al. Study protocol for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infection and its determinants in Catalonia (Spain): an observational and participatory research approach in a Sentinel Network of Schools. BMJ Open. 2022;12(1):e055649. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055649
Polit DF, Beck CT. Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing Evidence for Nursing Practice. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008.
Aguayo-González M, Leyva-Moral JM, Giménez-Diéz D, et al. The impact of COVID-19 on adolescents' mental health in Catalonia (Spain): a qualitative study. J Sch Nurs. Published online August 24, 2023. doi:10.1177/10598405231194542
Braun V, Clarke V. Thematic Analysis. American Psychological Association; 2012.
Morse JM. Critical analysis of strategies for determining rigor in qualitative inquiry. Qual Health Res. 2015;25(9):1212-1222. doi:10.1177/1049732315588501
Martinelli L, Kopilaš V, Vidmar M, et al. Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic: a simple protection tool with many meanings. Front Public Health. 2021;8:606635. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2020.606635
Hanna E, Martin G, Campbell A, Connolly P, Fearon K. The impacts and implications of the community face mask use during the Covid-19 pandemic: a qualitative narrative interview study. Health Expect. 2023;26:1349-1357. doi:10.1111/hex.13752
Warnock-Parkes E, Thew GR, Clark DM. Belief in protecting others and social perceptions of face mask wearing were associated with frequent mask use in the early stages of the COVID pandemic in the UK. Front Psychol. 2021;12:680552. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.680552
Bornand E, Letourneux F, Deschanvres C, et al. Social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Public Health. 2023;11:1136980. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1136980
Fineman MA. The vulnerable subject: anchoring equality in the human condition. Yale J Law Feminism. 2008;20(1). https://ssrn.com/abstract=1131407
Chen CY, Lei M. Psychosocial factors associated with mask-wearing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychol Health Med. 2022;27(9):1996-2006. doi:10.1080/13548506.2021.1998562
Wang C, Pan R, Wan X, et al. Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the general population in China. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(5):1729. doi:10.3390/ijerph17051729
Mendo-Lázaro S, Polo-Del-Río MI, Amado-Alonso D, Iglesias-Gallego D, León-Del-Barco B. Self-concept in childhood: the role of body image and sport practice. Front Psychol. 2017;8:853. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00853
Ives E. La identidad del Adolescente. Como se construye [Adolescent identity. How is it created]. Revista de formación continuada de la sociedadespañola de medicina de la adolescencia. 2014;2:14-18.
Howard MC. Gender, face mask perceptions, and face mask wearing: are men being dangerous during the COVID-19 pandemic? Pers Individ Dif. 2021;170:110417. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2020.110417
Caro Gabalda I. Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy: a descriptive review (2000 to July 2016). Behav Cogn Psychother. 2017;45(4):321-336. doi:10.1017/S1352465817000121
Saint SA, Moscovitch DA. Effects of mask-wearing on social anxiety: an exploratory review. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2021;34(5):487-502. doi:10.1080/10615806.2021.1929936