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Fountoulakis KN, Breda J, Arletou MP, Charalampakis AI, Karypidou MG, Kotorli KS, Koutsoudi CG, Ladia ES, Mitkani CA, Mpouri VN, Samara AC, Stravoravdi AS, Tsiamis IG, Tzortzi A, Vamvaka MA, Zacharopoulou CN, Prezerakos PE, Koupidis SA, K Fountoulakis N, Tsapakis EM, Konsta A, Theodorakis PN. Adherence to facemask use in public places during the autumn-winter 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in Greece: observational data. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2022; 21:9. [PMID: 35264198 PMCID: PMC8905561 DOI: 10.1186/s12991-022-00386-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wearing facemasks is of proven efficacy as a public health protective measure against COVID-19. Currently there are no observational data concerning the wearing of facemasks and the adherence to guidelines concerning their handling. METHODS Registration of the way passers-by were wearing facemasks at 26 different locations of five major cities in Greece. The results were correlated with the rate of COVID-19 deaths in the region. RESULTS In total, 119,433 passers-by were registered, 57,043 females (47.8%) and 62,390 males (52.2%). From the total sample, 81.1% were wearing the mask properly, 10.8% had their nose out, 6.2% were wearing it under the jaw, and 1.9% had no mask at all . There was a significant difference between males and females concerning any use of mask. Inappropriate use of was correlated with COVID-19 death rate in the studied region. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that under conditions of mandatory wearing and in central locations of major cities, during walking, proper use of masks is suboptimal, but still contributes with some protection. Fear and risk perception seem to be strong factors contributing to adherence to proper mask wearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos N Fountoulakis
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 6, Odysseos str, 55535, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Joao Breda
- WHO Athens Quality of Care Office, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Athens, Greece
| | - Marianna P Arletou
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anastasios I Charalampakis
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria G Karypidou
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Konstantina S Kotorli
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Christina G Koutsoudi
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Eleftheria S Ladia
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Calypso A Mitkani
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Vasiliki N Mpouri
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anastasia C Samara
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Aikaterini S Stravoravdi
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ioannis G Tsiamis
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Aphrodite Tzortzi
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria A Vamvaka
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Charikleia N Zacharopoulou
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Panagiotis E Prezerakos
- Department of Nursing, Laboratory of Integrated Health Care, University of Peloponnese, Tripoli, Greece
| | - Sotirios A Koupidis
- Occupational & Environmental Health Sector, Public Health Policy Department, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece
| | | | | | - Anastasia Konsta
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 6, Odysseos str, 55535, Thessaloniki, Greece
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