An Examination of Facial Mask Utilization among Jamaicans, and the relationship between the Fear of contracting COVID-19 and the Wearing of Facial Mask in Public

लेखक

  • Paul Andrew Bourne Acting Director of Institutional Research, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, W.I.
  • Sammantha Chambers Nursing Student, Department of Nursing, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, W.I.
  • Tanegea Campbell Nursing Student, Department of Nursing, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, W.I.
  • Nigel Redwood Nursing Student, Department of Nursing, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, W.I.
  • Deanaloy McFarlane Nursing Student, Department of Nursing, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, W.I.
  • Vincent M.S. Peterkin Associate Vice President of Academic Administration and Interim Dean of the College of Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, W.I.
  • Michael Burke Monitoring and Evaluation officer & Data Analysts, Quality Management & Institutional Research, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, W.I.

सार

Introduction: The mandatory wearing of facialmasks in public have been globally instituted by states as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19. Studies have revealed that the wearing a facial mask has been effective in reducing the spread and contraction of COVID-19. However, some people question the purpose of the wearing of a facial mask as well as indicate their unwillingness to wear these masks.

Objectives: To evaluate facial mask-wearing by Jamaicans as well as examine the relationship between the fear of wearing facial masks and the knowledge of COVID-19.

Methods and Materials: This study employed an explanatory cross-sectional design. It was a national non-probability survey of 580 Jamaicans, and the data were collecte in November-and-December 2020via an online survey platform. The data were later converted and analyzed by the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences, Version 25.0 for Windows. A p-value of less than 5% was used to establish statistical significance level.

Findings: Only 1 in every 50 respondents indicated that they have never wore facial mask, 6 out of every 25 were uncertain that facial mask-wearing prevented contracting COVID-19, 1 in every 2 respondents indicated that they change their facial mask at least once per day, and 3 in every 50 indicated that they always wear a facial mask in public. Almost 81% of the respondents with high knowledge of COVID-19 wear a face mask as a result of the fear of the disease, with no statistical relationship existed between both variables (χ2(1)=0.235, P =0.628).

Conclusion: Many Jamaicans have complied with facial mask-wearing in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which accounts for the low mortality of this disease.

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प्रकाशित

2021-09-06

अंक

खंड 5 No. 1 (2021): International Journal of Recent Advances in Psychology & Psychotherapy

खंड

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