To be sure, a mask is the primary intervention to avoid or minimize COVID-19 infection and transmission in public settings.
Political ideologies aside, the mask resistance lies largely with understanding and adopting behavioral models we in public health, and in my own clinical specialty of Respiratory Care, called the Health Belief Model.
Simply defined, the Health Belief Model is a person’s mindful construct whether or not to adopt a certain health related behavior.
The Health Belief Model can be effective if it addresses that individual’s misconceptions about an illness or condition and educates about the benefits of assuming a certain health behavior.
The likelihood of adoption of a prescribed health behavior (wear a mask—it protects you and it protects me) is largely based on our hoped for mask wearer to ascertain and then accept that mask wearing is a good preventative measure to minimize COVID-19.
Once adopted, two other behavioral constructs then come into play and further influence the mask wearing candidate.
One is the Theory of Planned Behavior which describes the person’s intention to engage in the desired behavior at a specific time and place (“I will wear my mask in all public places”).
The next construct is called Social Cognitive Theory which simply states that learning and thus reinforcement of the behavior is influenced by seeing others model that behavior, (“You’re wearing a mask, so I should wear a mask”).
We would be appalled if our surgeon did not wear a mask in the operating room as a simple proactive measure to control infection.
Yet here we are with still so many unwilling, defiant individuals choosing to not don a mask when a national health crisis is increasing on a daily basis.
By addressing the primary and simplest means—wearing a mask—and getting control of this crisis, we can only then begin to see any meaningful change in our related socio-economic outcomes. A continual sick nation cannot repair and return itself to economic stability.
The crescendos and decrescendos of viral outbreaks is unsustainable. Understanding and adopting the Health Belief Model and its accompanying constructs can help gain quicker mitigation of COVID-19. A healthier population can then move confidently, but cautiously, to regaining our economic stability.
To quote Maya Angelou, “When you know better, you do better.” Do better. Wear a mask.
Jerry A. O’Ryan is the editor of the Respiratory Exchange, the official publication of the Ohio Society for Respiratory Care and is a respiratory therapist.