Table 3.
Agreement with behavioral theory construct statements and association between agreement and “always” wearing a maska by race/ethnicity, United States, May–November 2020
| Hispanic respondentsb (n=381) | Non-Hispanic Black respondentsc (n=385) | Non-Hispanic Asian respondentsd (n=158) | Non-Hispanic White respondentse (n=2,240) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | Crude OR | AORf | % | Crude OR | AOR | % | Crude OR | AOR | % | Crude OR | AOR | |
| Descriptive (observed) social norm—when going out, seeing others wearing cloth or other face coveringg,h | ||||||||||||
| Sometimes | 19.3 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 23.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 18.7 | 0.5 | – | 18.4 | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| (16.1, 22.8) | (1.4, 8.8) | (1.1, 10.0) | (19.2, 27.5) | (0.3, 2.1) | (0.1, 1.3) | (13.4, 25.5) | (0, 6.0) | (16.8, 20.2) | (0.8, 2.7) | (0.7, 3.1) | ||
| Often/always | 73.4 | 8.4 | 6.7 | 71.8 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 79.3 | 0.7 | – | 79.1 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
| (69.6, 77.1) | (3.6, 19.7) | (2.5, 18.3) | (67.2, 76.0) | (0.9, 5.6) | (0.2, 2.8) | (72.4, 85.0) | (0.1, 8.2) | (77.3, 80.8) | (2.1, 7.1) | (1.6, 6.1) | ||
| Subjective (perceived) social norm—People who are important to me believe that I should wear a mask when I go out in publici,j | ||||||||||||
| Neutral | 13.9 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 14.7 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 14.3 | 2.4 | – | 17.4 | 1.7 | 0.8 |
| (11.1, 17.0) | (0.7, 2.7) | (0.2, 1.6) | (11.4, 18.3) | (0.6, 7.3) | (0.4, 9.5) | (9.7, 20.6) | (0.3, 22.3) | (15.8, 19.1) | (1.1, 2.5) | (0.5, 1.3) | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 73.6% | 5.0 | 0.9 | 80.2 | 7.0 | 3.4 | 82.7 | 5.1 | – | 72.4 | 7.0 | 1.4 |
| (69.8, 77.3) | (2.8, 8.9) | (0.4, 2.1) | (76.2, 84.0 | (2.2, 22.4) | (0.8, 15) | (75.9, 87.7) | (0.6, 41.9) | (70.5, 74.4) | (4.9, 9.9) | (0.9, 2.2) | ||
| Attitude toward behavior—It is important for me to wear a mask when I am out in publick | ||||||||||||
| Neutral | 13.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 13.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 13.6 | 0.2 | – | 12.8 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| (10.4, 16.1) | (0.5, 2.5) | (0.2, 1.8) | (10.7, 17.5) | (0.2, 1.5) | (0.1, 1.4) | (9.1, 19.8 | (0.0, 2.0) | (11.4, 14.3) | (1.1, 2.5) | (0.7, 2.1) | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 76.6 | 6.7 | 1.8 | 77.3 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 83.8 | 0.4 | – | 74.9 | 8.5 | 2.3 |
| (72.8, 80.0) | (3.5, 13.0) | (0.7, 4.6) | (73.0, 81.2) | (1.8, 8.2) | (0.5, 4.5) | (77.3, 88.8) | (0.0, 4.9) | (72.9, 76.7) | (6.1, 11.9) | (1.4, 3.6) | ||
| Belief about importance of multiple preventive behaviors—it is important to use both social distancing and mask wearing to prevent the spread of coronavirus | ||||||||||||
| Neutral | 13.4 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 14.6 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 9.6 | 0.9 | – | 11.8 | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| (10.7, 16.6) | (0.7, 3.5) | (0.3, 2.6) | (11.4, 18.3) | (0.3, 2) | (0.2, 2.3) | (5.6, 14.7) | (0.1, 6.7) | (10.4, 13.3) | (1.0, 2.3) | (0.5, 1.5) | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 75.8 | 8.0 | 3.0 | 78.4 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 87.0 | 2.3 | – | 79.2 | 6.0 | 1.0 |
| (72.0, 79.3) | (4.1, 15.7) | (1.1, 8.1) | (74.1, 82.2) | (1.3, 6.8) | (0.1, 1.5) | (80.9, 91.4) | (0.4, 13.1) | (77.4, 80.9) | (4.2, 8.6) | (0.6, 1.7) | ||
| Outcome expectations—I would protect others from coronavirus if I wear a mask when I go out in public l | ||||||||||||
| Neutral | 15.4 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 13.5 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 14.1 | 0.3 | – | 15.3 | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| (12.5, 18.6) | (1.1, 5.2) | (0.9, 6.9) | (10.5, 17.2) | (0.5, 3.7) | (0.6, 7.7) | (9.1, 19.8) | (0, 3.8) | (13.8, 16.9) | (1.5, 3.2) | (1.0, 2.6) | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 74.2 | 6.7 | 1.6 | 77.7 | 6.8 | 5.1 | 84.0 | 0.7 | – | 72.1 | 6.8 | 1.7 |
| (70.4, 77.8) | (3.5, 13.1) | (0.6, 4.1) | (73.6, 81.7) | (2.9, 16) | (1.8, 15.0) | (78.0, 89.3) | (0.1, 8.4) | (70.2, 74.1) | (5.0, 9.4) | (1.1, 2.8) | ||
| Personal agency—I am confident that I can wear a mask when out in public to prevent the spread of coronavirus | ||||||||||||
| Neutral | 13.5 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 13.9 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 11.4 | 0.6 | – | 13.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 |
| (10.7, 16.6) | (0.9, 3.9) | (0.8, 5.7) | (10.7, 17.5) | (0.3, 3.3) | (0.7, 11.9) | (7.1, 16.9) | (0.1, 4.2) | (12.2, 5.2) | (1.1, 2.7) | (0.7, 1.9) | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 74.7 | 4.7 | 1.9 | 79.8 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 84.8 | 2.5 | – | 76.1 | 8.4 | 2.1 |
| (71.0, 78.4) | (2.6, 8.4) | (0.9, 4.3) | (75.7, 83.6) | (2.1, 14.4) | (1.1, 13.9) | (78.7, 89.8 | (0.5, 13.1) | (74.2, 7.9) | (5.9, 12.1) | (1.3, 3.5) | ||
| Cue to action—Which of the following actions have you heard are important things to do to protect yourself and others from coronavirus?…Wear a mask in public.m | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 77.1 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 79.5 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 84.3 | 1.3 | – | 87.2 | 2.8 | 1.6 |
| (73.4, 80.5) | (1.4, 3.1) | (0.5, 1.5) | (75.4, 83.3) | (2.4, 7.0) | (1.7, 7.3) | (78.0, 89.3) | (0.5, 3.0) | (85.7, 88.6) | (2.1, 3.6) | (1.1, 2.2) | ||
| Perceived severity of infection—I’m worried I would become seriously ill if I became infected with COVID-19. | ||||||||||||
| Neutral | 20.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 21.2% | 0.7 | 0.7 | 25.5 | 0.4 | – | 19.1 | 1.7 | 1.5 |
| (16.8, 23.7 | (0.5, 1.5) | (0.4, 1.6) | (17.4, 25.4 | (0.4, 1.4) | (0.3, 1.6) | (18.9, 32.3) | (0.1, 1.3) | (17.5, 20.9) | (1.3, 2.3) | (1.1, 2.2) | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 60.6 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 61.7 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 63.3 | 0.8 | – | 59.3 | 3.1 | 1.5 |
| (56.4, 64.7) | (1.3, 3.2) | (0.5, 1.7) | (56.9, 66.4 | (0.8, 2.4) | (0.3, 1.4) | (55.9, 70.7) | (0.3, 2.3) | (57.1, 61.4) | (2.5, 3.9) | (1.1, 1.9) | ||
| Perceived susceptibility to infection - I think it is likely that I will become infected with COVID-19. | ||||||||||||
| Neutral | 32.7 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 32.5 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 31.6 | 1.1 | – | 33.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| (28.9, 36.9) | (0.8, 1.9) | (0.6, 1.8) | (28.0, 37.2) | (0.6, 1.6) | (0.9, 2.9) | (24.6, 38.9) | (0.5, 2.4) | (31.2, 35.3) | (0.9, 1.3) | (0.7, 1.2) | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 36.0 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 24.6 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 27.7 | 0.9 | – | 24.0 | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| (32.0, 40.1) | (1.0, 2.4) | (0.8, 2.2) | (20.6, 29.1) | (0.6, 1.5) | (0.6, 2.5) | (21.2, 35.0) | (0.4, 2.0) | (22.2, 25.9) | (1.0, 1.5) | (0.7, 1.2) | ||
Values in bold indicate statistically significant associations at p < .05
aWhen leaving the home in the prior week
bHispanic respondents; model chi sq: 142.8; p<.001
cNon-Hispanic Black respondents; model chi-sq: 115.9; p<.001
dNon-Hispanic Asian respondents; model chi-sq: 32.4; p=.594 (model did not converge)
eNon-Hispanic White respondents; model chi-sq: 474.4; p<.001
fAdjusted odds ratios were estimated controlling for all other behavioral construct variables, as well as age, gender, education, presence of a mask mandate in respondent’s county, cumulative COVID-19 cases in the county the day prior to the interview, and interview month. None of the demographic, county, or time variables were statistically significant in models
g“Never/rarely” is the referent level
hIn May and June, survey items referred to a “cloth face covering.” From July forward, all items were revised to refer to “face covering/mask.” After examination of frequency time trends revealed general consistency in responses between the slight wording differences, the questions were merged, and the term “mask” was used for all of the merged items
iUnless otherwise noted, “Strongly disagree/disagree” is the referent level
jFor non-Hispanic White respondents, the statement was: “People who are important to me want me to wear a face covering/mask when I go out in public”
kFor Hispanic respondents the statement was: “It is important for everyone to wear a face covering/mask when they are out in public”
lFor non-Hispanic White respondents, the statement was: “I can help stop the coronavirus outbreak in my community if I wear a face covering/mask while out in public”
m“No” is the referent level