Objectives:
RECOVER is an ongoing, prospective cohort study inviting first responders, healthcare workers, and other frontline workers to complete weekly surveys and RT-PCR C19 testing. Enrollment surveys inquire about the percentage of time face masks are worn outside of work, allowing us to address a topic frequently disregarded despite the proven importance of masks for C19 prevention.
Methods:
Enrollment survey data regarding percentage of time face masks were worn, outside of work, was analyzed using One-Way ANOVAs, yet lack of homogeneity of variance supported the use of Welch statistics and post-hoc Games-Howell tests when identifying differences between groups. Significance was established using an alpha of 0.05.
Results:
Our total analytic sample contained 634 participants: mean age 41.6 , 84.9% White, 43.5% Hispanic, 56.3% Male, 49.4% first responder, and 54.1% had a college degree or higher level of education. The average percent of time face masks were worn outside of work was higher in health care personnel (M= 78.16%, SD=29.84%) than other frontline workers (M=70.82%, SD= 34.70%) and first responders (M=58.90%, SD=37.54%). A one-way, between-subjects ANOVA found significant differences between means in at least 2 groups (F_Welch(2, 330.41)=16.69, p<0.001). A post-hoc Games-Howell test found statistically significant differences between healthcare personnel and first responders (mean difference = 19.26%, P<0.001), and between first responders and other frontline workers (mean difference = 11.91%, p<0.001).
Conclusion:
Healthcare personnel wear face masks, outside of work, significantly more than first responders, with no significant differences identified between other frontline workers and healthcare personnel.
