Face mask use during the COVID-19 pandemic—the significance of culture and the symbolic meaning of behavior

During public emergencies, a door can open on the fundamental elements upon which a society's social order is built. The Covid-19 pandemic has opened such a door in societies worldwide. We outline in this commentary some of these social elements and how they may have influenced face mask use du...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of epidemiology 2021-07, Vol.59, p.1-4
Main Authors: Timpka, Toomas, Nyce, James M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
COVID-19
Cultural analysis
Face masks
Health Policy
Humans
Masks
Non-pharmaceutical interventions
Pandemics - prevention & control
Public Health
SARS-CoV-2
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Summary:During public emergencies, a door can open on the fundamental elements upon which a society's social order is built. The Covid-19 pandemic has opened such a door in societies worldwide. We outline in this commentary some of these social elements and how they may have influenced face mask use during the early stages of the pandemic. The purpose is to expand the perspective on mechanisms that are relevant to consider in pandemic response planning. Our look at these fundamental elements showed that latent aspects of the dominant culture and various symbolic meanings of behaviors can reduce adherence with public health recommendations if they are overlooked in the strategic health plans. We conclude that when policymakers decide non-pharmacological interventions during pandemics, they should take into account fundamental attitudes and beliefs that may influence population behavior. This will require paying attention to variations in things like culture and symbolic meanings of behavior.
ISSN:1047-2797
1873-2585
1873-2585
DOI:10.1016/j.annepidem.2021.03.012