Mask-Wearing Behavior Among Older Persons: Regional Differences in Europe

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the critical role of health behaviors, including mask wearing, in mitigating the virus's spread. This study aims to explore the association between the compliance with mask mandates and the European region of residence. Various factors, such as sociocultural, psychological, and contextual elements, can influence health behaviors. Methods: The sample consisted of 50,900 European participants aged 55 years and above, drawn from the 8th wave of the SHARE survey. The average age was 75.89 years (SD=99.98), with 56.6% females. Statistical analysis focused on assessing the frequency distribution of COVID-19 preventative behaviors, particularly mask wearing. Cross-tabulation analysis and chi-square tests were employed to examine the relationship between country and mask wearing frequency. The contingency coefficient test was utilized to determine the strength of this relationship. Additionally, an ordinal regression analysis was conducted.
Results: The findings demonstrated a statistically significant association between the European region and the frequency of mask wearing (χ² = 11978, df = 9, p < 0.001). The contingency coefficient test revealed a moderate effect size (C = 0.549). Most participants reported 'Always' wearing masks (58%), followed by 'Often' (10.45%), 'Sometimes' (11.4%), and 'Never' (19.7%). Parameter estimates indicated significant variations between regions, with Eastern Europe being 97.8% less likely, Western Europe being 89.9% less likely, and Southern Europe being 56.4% less likely to fall into lower categories of mask-wearing compliance compared to Northern Europe.
Conclusions: This study highlights a significant association between the European region and mask- wearing frequency. Understanding and addressing sociocultural, psychological, and contextual factors within each region are crucial when implementing public health interventions. Targeted efforts should be made to enhance mask-wearing rates and mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. The findings underscore the importance of considering regional differences in compliance with mask mandates to develop effective strategies tailored to specific European regions.