Determinants of compliance to the facemask directive in Greece: A population study.
<h4>Purpose</h4>Primary objective of this study was to identify potential difficulties and/or discomfort when using a facemask. Moreover, to explore the impact of spectacles, contact lenses and visual acuity on the compliance to the facemask directive.<h4>Methods</h4>This is...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2021-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0248929&type=printable |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850046176901988352 |
|---|---|
| author | Georgios Labiris Eirini-Kanella Panagiotopoulou Asli Perente Eleftherios Chatzimichael Ioannis Fotiadis Sergios Taliantzis Aristeidis Konstantinidis Doukas Dardabounis |
| author_facet | Georgios Labiris Eirini-Kanella Panagiotopoulou Asli Perente Eleftherios Chatzimichael Ioannis Fotiadis Sergios Taliantzis Aristeidis Konstantinidis Doukas Dardabounis |
| author_sort | Georgios Labiris |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Purpose</h4>Primary objective of this study was to identify potential difficulties and/or discomfort when using a facemask. Moreover, to explore the impact of spectacles, contact lenses and visual acuity on the compliance to the facemask directive.<h4>Methods</h4>This is a prospective study that was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece between June 2020 and August 2020. Greek speaking citizens with permanent residency in Greece above 18 years old were included. A custom questionnaire (DeMask-20) was constructed and validated, which pertained to the perceived difficulty and discomfort when using a facemask. It contained 20 items grouped in 8 subscales (driving, near vision, distance vision, ocular discomfort, role limitation, collaboration, dependency on others, emotional stress). Perceived difficulty and discomfort when using a facemask, compliance and correlations of compliance with DeMask-20 scores, demographics, spectacle and/or contact lens use, and visual acuity were evaluated.<h4>Results</h4>The number of factors was determined through factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.716 for the "Role limitation" subscale to 0.938 for "Ocular discomfort" subscale. 1,214 participants (402 men, 812 women, mean age 36.79±12.50 years) completed the DeMask-20 instrument. Mean DeMask-20 score of all study participants was 3.79±0.71. Significant differences in DeMask-20 score were detected in gender (p = 0.009), spectacle use (p = 0.034), contact lens use (p = 0.049), and binocular distance visual acuity (bDVA) (p = 0.001). Mean compliance of all participants was 4.05±0.96. Men, people <50 years and spectacle wearers showed significantly worse compliance (p<0.05). Moreover, professional workers and professional drivers demonstrated significantly better compliance (p = 0.008 and p = 0.047). Significant correlation was detected between compliance and DeMask-20 score (p<0.001, R2 = 0.471). Significant correlations were detected with driving, near vision, distance vision, collaboration, role limitation, emotional stress (p<0.05, R2: 0.386-0.493).<h4>Conclusions</h4>Factor analysis suggested that the DeMask-20 instrument demonstrates adequate validity, while Cronbach's alpha indicated sufficient internal consistency of all subscales. This study provided the necessary methods that could evaluate compliance trends and the efficacy of healthcare interventions against COVID-19. Our outcomes suggest that young males who use spectacles should be targeted by Greek Healthcare authorities in order to improve compliance rates. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b102f5fd6335421ea9d39eeefac1f315 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-b102f5fd6335421ea9d39eeefac1f3152025-08-20T02:54:30ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01163e024892910.1371/journal.pone.0248929Determinants of compliance to the facemask directive in Greece: A population study.Georgios LabirisEirini-Kanella PanagiotopoulouAsli PerenteEleftherios ChatzimichaelIoannis FotiadisSergios TaliantzisAristeidis KonstantinidisDoukas Dardabounis<h4>Purpose</h4>Primary objective of this study was to identify potential difficulties and/or discomfort when using a facemask. Moreover, to explore the impact of spectacles, contact lenses and visual acuity on the compliance to the facemask directive.<h4>Methods</h4>This is a prospective study that was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece between June 2020 and August 2020. Greek speaking citizens with permanent residency in Greece above 18 years old were included. A custom questionnaire (DeMask-20) was constructed and validated, which pertained to the perceived difficulty and discomfort when using a facemask. It contained 20 items grouped in 8 subscales (driving, near vision, distance vision, ocular discomfort, role limitation, collaboration, dependency on others, emotional stress). Perceived difficulty and discomfort when using a facemask, compliance and correlations of compliance with DeMask-20 scores, demographics, spectacle and/or contact lens use, and visual acuity were evaluated.<h4>Results</h4>The number of factors was determined through factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.716 for the "Role limitation" subscale to 0.938 for "Ocular discomfort" subscale. 1,214 participants (402 men, 812 women, mean age 36.79±12.50 years) completed the DeMask-20 instrument. Mean DeMask-20 score of all study participants was 3.79±0.71. Significant differences in DeMask-20 score were detected in gender (p = 0.009), spectacle use (p = 0.034), contact lens use (p = 0.049), and binocular distance visual acuity (bDVA) (p = 0.001). Mean compliance of all participants was 4.05±0.96. Men, people <50 years and spectacle wearers showed significantly worse compliance (p<0.05). Moreover, professional workers and professional drivers demonstrated significantly better compliance (p = 0.008 and p = 0.047). Significant correlation was detected between compliance and DeMask-20 score (p<0.001, R2 = 0.471). Significant correlations were detected with driving, near vision, distance vision, collaboration, role limitation, emotional stress (p<0.05, R2: 0.386-0.493).<h4>Conclusions</h4>Factor analysis suggested that the DeMask-20 instrument demonstrates adequate validity, while Cronbach's alpha indicated sufficient internal consistency of all subscales. This study provided the necessary methods that could evaluate compliance trends and the efficacy of healthcare interventions against COVID-19. Our outcomes suggest that young males who use spectacles should be targeted by Greek Healthcare authorities in order to improve compliance rates.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0248929&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Georgios Labiris Eirini-Kanella Panagiotopoulou Asli Perente Eleftherios Chatzimichael Ioannis Fotiadis Sergios Taliantzis Aristeidis Konstantinidis Doukas Dardabounis Determinants of compliance to the facemask directive in Greece: A population study. PLoS ONE |
| title | Determinants of compliance to the facemask directive in Greece: A population study. |
| title_full | Determinants of compliance to the facemask directive in Greece: A population study. |
| title_fullStr | Determinants of compliance to the facemask directive in Greece: A population study. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Determinants of compliance to the facemask directive in Greece: A population study. |
| title_short | Determinants of compliance to the facemask directive in Greece: A population study. |
| title_sort | determinants of compliance to the facemask directive in greece a population study |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0248929&type=printable |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT georgioslabiris determinantsofcompliancetothefacemaskdirectiveingreeceapopulationstudy AT eirinikanellapanagiotopoulou determinantsofcompliancetothefacemaskdirectiveingreeceapopulationstudy AT asliperente determinantsofcompliancetothefacemaskdirectiveingreeceapopulationstudy AT eleftherioschatzimichael determinantsofcompliancetothefacemaskdirectiveingreeceapopulationstudy AT ioannisfotiadis determinantsofcompliancetothefacemaskdirectiveingreeceapopulationstudy AT sergiostaliantzis determinantsofcompliancetothefacemaskdirectiveingreeceapopulationstudy AT aristeidiskonstantinidis determinantsofcompliancetothefacemaskdirectiveingreeceapopulationstudy AT doukasdardabounis determinantsofcompliancetothefacemaskdirectiveingreeceapopulationstudy |