• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.61-68
• /
• 2023

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between psychosocial factors and the mask-wearing behavior after deregulation of COVID-19 quarantine guidelines among adults in Korea. Methods : We collected data (345 subjects) from online questionnaire survey. The questionnaire included the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Korean version of fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-15, Korean versions of the Perceived Stress Scale, and measurement tools adapted from previous studies for COVID-19 risk perception, social stigma, and appearance interest of subjects. We analysed data using SPSS version 23.0 for descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis. Results : People with cohabitant or mask-wearing tendency before COVID-19 pandemic had a higher rate of mask-wearing than those who were not. Subjects reporting higher level of social stigma (OR=1.154, 95% CI 1.049-1.270) and COVID-19 anxiety (OR=1.072, 95% CI 1.007-1.141) were more likely to report maskwearing behavior. Conclusion : From the results, appropriate intervention to those who fear social stigma and are anxious to the infectious diseases will be needed. Additionally, providing policies and guidelines that consider cohabitants and offering continuous education with information of disease to the public are also expected to helpful for recovery of daily life from infectious diseases.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
• /
• v.8 no.5
• /
• pp.1011-1017
• /
• 2021

An effective measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is wearing masks in public places. This solution is highly recommended in many countries all over the world. The objective of this study is to identify the antecedents of citizens' intention to purchase masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the current study analyzes attitudes toward mask-purchasing, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, to assess their impact on intention to purchase masks. In total, six variables are examined: attitude toward mask-wearing, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, and the intention to wear masks. Data are collected from 243 respondents in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. They were processed through by factor analysis and multiple regressions. The results report that all three factors positively affect citizens' intention to buy masks in the following ascending order: Attitude toward mask-purchasing, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Our study is the first research that applies TPB to investigate citizens' intention to purchase masks to during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, this study provides guidelines to the Vietnamese public managers to combat COVID-19 through the purchase of masks. Shopkeepers would be well advised to observe the intentions of consumers toward masks.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.46 no.6
• /
• pp.750-756
• /
• 2020

Objectives: After coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic, the South Korean government announced guidelines on wearing masks to prevent its spread. The guidelines have changed depending on the severity of the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to identify mask-wearing behaviours to counter the spread of COVID-19 in indoor and outdoor environments. Methods: The type of mask worn and proper wearing were observed in cafés, supermarkets, underground shopping malls, and streets in Seoul. Behavioral assessment was repeated in August at social distancing levels 1 and 2, in October at social distancing level 1, and in November after the mask mandates. Results: In August, 22.1% of subjects in cafés, 90.8% in supermarkets, 91.8% in underground shopping malls, and 83.6% on outdoor streets wore masks properly. In October, the proportion of correct wearers increased in all locations. After masks became mandatory in November, about 97% of users of supermarkets, underground shopping malls, and streets wore masks properly. In cafés, the proportion of proper wearers was 61.5% with both social distancing level 2 in August and the mandate in November. The number of KF-certified mask wearers continued to increase from August to November. Conclusion: This study investigated mask-wearing behaviors to counter COVID-19 through observations in indoor and outdoor places in Seoul. Mask-wearing behavior was different depending on the place and the government guidelines in place. The results could be used for evaluation of the current guidelines for COVID-19.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.399-407
• /
• 2022

Wearing a mask is essential during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For this study, an online survey was conducted on the actual use of masks among adults in their twenties and older. We used 389 questionnaires for the final analysis, excluding insincere or incomplete questionnaires. We then analyzed the responses using descriptive statistical analysis, frequency analysis, t-test, and ANOVA. More than half of the respondents indicated that they wore a mask for five to ten hours a day, with KF masks being the most frequently used. Participants who most frequently used cloth masks were more likely to consider color, design, and eco-friendliness, while those who used KF masks were more concerned with price and safety. There was no significant difference in purchase satisfaction between mask types, but the purchase intention was higher for KF masks. When purchasing a KF mask, there were significant differences across genders in terms of price and eco-friendliness preferences. There were also significant differences across age groups in price, eco-friendliness, skin irritation, and comfort preferences. Previous studies have shown a significant difference in gender and age in terms of preferred mask colors and designs. However, this survey found no significant difference across these categories. These findings indicate those mask manufacturers should consider safety and eco-friendliness over mask color and design.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2021

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is transmitted primarily through droplets, and dental practitioners are at risk of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection owing to direct contact with the patient's mouth, aerosols from dental procedures, and saliva. Wearing a mask is believed to be the best method of protection against infection, and a systematic literature review was conducted on whether the dental masks used in dentistry are effective in preventing Coronavirus Infectious Disease-19 (COVID-19). Methods: We used PubMed, Google Scholar, DBpia, NDSL, and KISS databases for this study. Of the 917 documents narrowed down by the search terms "Coronavirus, COVID-19, and dental," 83 documents were collected and studied. Ultimately, 42 of these papers were selected for analysis after considering duplication from the flow chart of the literature selection process. Results: While dental masks are often used when treating patients with unknown COVID-19 status, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated that the use of dental masks is insufficient in preventing cross-transmission of COVID-19; instead, it was recommended that N95 masks, which correspond to KF94 masks, should be worn daily. On the other hand, wearing a dental mask and following precautions such as hand hygiene may not pose a significantly higher risk of infection than wearing an N95 mask when treating COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: There is an ongoing discussion regarding the use of dental masks when treating dental patients, and many argue that different types of masks should be selected according to the degree of infection and the individual's respiratory condition. By considering the safety and efficacy of dental masks in preventing infection, improvements can be made in the management of COVID-19 and dental-related infections.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.591-596
• /
• 2022

Various COVID-19 quarantine guidelines and measures are being taken by country at the WHO, but the number of confirmed cases has not decreased significantly. In order to prevent the inflow and outflow of COVID-19 through individual droplets, it is mandatory to wear a mask anytime, anywhere. However, as virus bacteria entering the mask amplify, it pollutes the mask and causes a disgusting smell. In this paper, a new method of preventing the spread of COVID-19 was proposed by sterilizing the mask with a dental gait spray introduced into the mask that has been used for a long time. Dental gargle water is usually produced by electrolysis of tap water, and the unstable ion water (HOCl) dissolved in water penetrates the cell barrier of various viruses and fails to act in its nucleus, causing water to self-purify. As a result of the experiment, when the mask used for a long time was washed with gargle water spray, the washed mask was dried after 10 minutes, and the smell of virus droplets or saliva almost disappeared. In particular, as a result of MOS testing the fit of the subjects who participated in the mask cleaning, it was excellent at 4.4 on average. Therefore, the mask was disposable, but if the spray was washed in the proposed method more than twice a day, the mask could be used in a comfortable state for more than a week.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.241-245
• /
• 2021

Background: It has been reported that a new type of headache may develop as a result of face mask use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical features of face mask-related headache during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out on healthcare workers at the Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University. The number of workers at our university was established. Sample size was calculated using the G*Power program. A questionnaire consisting of questions relating to pre-existing headache, an aggravation in headache, and de-novo headache was filled out by 3 neurologists with all participants. Results: Data was collected from a total of 375 participants, after the exclusion of 5 individuals who refused to participate. Out of all participants, 26 (6.9%) used a filtering mask, 274 (73.1%) used a surgical mask, 75 (20.0%) participants used a combination of both masks. The number of participants with preexisting headache was 114 (30.4%) had pre-existing headache. Of those with pre-existing headache, 77 (67.5%) healthcare workers had reported an aggravation in their headache after mask use. De-novo headache was observed in 116 (30.9%) of participants. De-novo headache characteristics included throbbing in 17 (14.7%) participants and pressing in 99 (85.3%) participants. In addition, symptoms such as tachypnea, sleep disturbance, and fatigue were found to be significantly higher. Conclusions: This study indicates that healthcare workers develop headaches due to use of masks during the COVID-19 outbreak.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Dental Administration
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.33-41
• /
• 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between wearing masks and subjective symptoms of halitosis in the COVID-19 situation. The survey was conducted from June 15 to July 31, 2022, among university students aged 19 years or older in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, 1. Subjective symptoms of halitosis were found to be higher in males and students being treated for periodontal diseases. 2. The subjective symptoms of halitosis were found to be higher in subjects with psychological anxiety, even though they did not have halitosis. 3. As a result of examining the subjective symptoms of halitosis, it was found that there were more subjects who were aware of halitosis while wearing a mask than those who were not. In view of the above results, it is thought that because of prolonged wearing of masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the difficulty faced in oral health management increases the symptoms of halitosis. Therefore, it is considered that oral health education in the era of corona should be accompanied by proper wearing of masks and halitosis management education.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.10-28
• /
• 2022

In this paper, we present an entry-level COVID-19 stand-alone digitial signage player (CoSiP) which performs not only conventional digital signage functionalities but also fever detection, face mask wearing detection, and KI-pass QR code checking. The overall design of CoSiP is proposed, and implementation of a temperature checking algorithm using a low cost thermal sensor is elaborately presented. Through experiments over datasets and against a developed CoSiP device, it is shown that the fever detection, face mask wearing detection, KI-pass QR code checking as well as signage functionalities of the proposed CoSiP work properly and reliably.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.66-72
• /
• 2023

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the everyday use of face masks massively increased to prevent the spread of infection. Many people complain of ear pain and erosion when wearing a mask for extended periods of time. If prolonged mask usage is uncomfortable for ordinary people, a question arises-how much more inconvenient must mask wearing be for patients with a full-thickness skin graft (FTSG) donor site in the retroauricular region? Herein, we evaluated complications related to face mask use in 27 patients with a retroauricular FTSG donor site, with the goal of clarifying whether the retroauricular region is still an appropriate FTSG donor site in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Complications in 27 patients treated by FTSGs harvested from the retroauricular region from 2019 to 2021 were investigated. A questionnaire comparing the normal and the operated sides was administered. Pain, itching, soreness, deformity, and symmetry were further investigated. Results: Pain and itching were the only observed complications. The operated side was slightly more painful than the normal side in four patients (14.8%), and four patients (14.8%) reported itching on the operated side. However, all patients who experienced complications stated that the pain or itching did not interfere with mask wearing. Most symptomatic patients were older than 60 years of age (23.8%, p= 0.185) and wore masks for longer periods of time (28.5%, p= 0.326). Conclusion: Few retroauricular donor site-related complications occurred, and none of these complications caused inconvenience in daily life. Therefore, in the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of the retroauricular region as an FTSG donor site remains appropriate.