Factors affecting face mask-wearing behaviors to prevent COVID-19 among Thai people: A binary logistic regression model

Wonpen Kaewpan; Kunwadee Rojpaisarnkit; Supa Pengpid; Karl Peltzer

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.996189

Factors affecting face mask-wearing behaviors to prevent COVID-19 among Thai people: A binary logistic regression model

Front Psychol. 2022 Nov 8:13:996189. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.996189. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Wonpen Kaewpan¹, Kunwadee Rojpaisarnkit², Supa Pengpid^{3

4}, Karl Peltzer^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
² Department of Public Health, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Rajabhat Rajanagarindra University, Chachoengsao, Thailand.
³ Department of Health Education and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
⁴ Department of Public Health, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa.
⁵ Department of Psychology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
⁶ Department of Psychology, College of Medical and Health Science, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.

Abstract

Objectives: Face mask wearing is a standard preventive measure, in addition to handwashing and physical distancing. Individuals may find that wearing a face mask protects their physical health and prevents viral transmission. However, none of the studies in Thailand identified factors associated with face mask-wearing behaviors among Thai people. Therefore, this study aims to determine factors affecting face mask-wearing behaviors to prevent COVID-19.

Methods: This research is analytical survey research. The data used in this study were under the project title "The assessment of psychosocial and behavioral response and compliance to restriction measures to prevent and control COVID-19: A series of the rapid survey." A total of 6,521 people participated in an online survey by multi-stage sampling. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors associated with face mask-wearing behaviors.

Results: After adjusting for independent variables (i.e., gender, age, education, career, smoking, and comorbidity disease), the bivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, age, and career were statistically significant to the face mask-wearing behaviors (p < 0.05). Level of education, smoking, and comorbidity disease were not statistically significant with face mask-wearing behaviors among Thai people.

Conclusion: Further study should explore broader on individual face mask perceptions and wearing in the continuing of COVID-19 across gender, age, and careers to better understand their health behaviors and to inform further policy. In addition, the development of an intervention to promote face mask wearing should target men who age below 30 yrs. and did not work in government services careers as this group of the population was likely not to wear a face mask outside the home.

Keywords: COVID-19; binary logistic regression; disease prevention behavior; face mask; health behavior; mask-wearing behaviors.