Attitudes towards wearing masks among young adults

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes about mask characteristics among young adults. Research questions included the following: (1) How do attitudes about: Do practical characteristics of masks influence mask-wearing? and (2) Does mask style and extrinsic characteristics influence mask-wearing? A mixed-methods approach was used. In December 2020, a survey was distributed online to fashion classes in the Midwest(rural) and Northeast (urban). The questionnaire contained a demographics section, open-ended questions about participants’ attitudes about masks, questions on mask-wearing behaviour, and a list of garment characteristics. The open-ended questions were analyzed for themes. The Likert scale questions were analyzed using a Factor Analysis and Analysis of Variance. Participants regarded practical characteristics of masks over style, particularly among the urban group. Style considerations were considered, particularly colour. Brand was not considered important. This research has implications in designing and merchandising masks.