Who is wearing a mask? Gender-, age-, and location-related differences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

Masks are an effective tool in combatting the spread of COVID-19, but some people still resist wearing them and mask-wearing behavior has not been experimentally studied in the United States. To understand the demographics of mask wearers and resistors, and the impact of mandates on mask-wearing behavior, we observed shoppers (n = 9935) entering retail stores during periods of June, July, and August 2020. Approximately 41% of the June sample wore a mask. At that time, the odds of an individual wearing a mask increased significantly with age and was also 1.5x greater for females than males. Additionally, the odds of observing a mask on an urban or suburban shopper were ~4x that for rural areas. Mask mandates enacted in late July and August increased mask-wearing compliance to over 90% in all groups, but a small percentage of resistors remained. Thus, gender, age, and location factor into whether shoppers in the United States wear a mask or face covering voluntarily. Additionally, mask mandates are necessary to increase mask wearing among the public to a level required to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Key Points

• 1Masks are associated with reduced transmission of COVID-19 and compliance varies by gender and age
• 2Older individuals and females are more likely to wear masks than younger individuals and males
• 3Urban and suburban shoppers showed higher mask-wearing rates compared to rural shoppers
• 4Mask mandates significantly increased compliance across all observed demographics
• 5The study highlights the importance of targeted public health messaging to improve mask-wearing behaviors.

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