Development and validation of the discomfort of cloth Masks-12 (DCM-12) scale

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Joel Mumma, Emory University; Ellen Jordan, Emory University; Oluwateniola Ayeni, Emory University; Noah Kaufman, Emory University; Marisa J Wheatley, Childrens Healthcare Atlanta; Amanda Grindle, Childrens Healthcare Atlanta; Jill Morgan, Emory Healthcare
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-10-20
• Publisher: ELSEVIER SCI LTD
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103616
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: APPLIED ERGONOMICS
• Volume: 98
• Start Page: 103616
• End Page: 103616
• Grant/Funding Information: This research was supported by contract award 75D30120C09509, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Broad Agency Announcement 75D301-20-R-68024. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Keywords: Engineering; VARIABLES; Ergonomics; HEALTH-CARE WORKERS; Engineering, Industrial; TIME; TEST STATISTICS; COVID-19; Cloth face masks; Psychology; COMFORT; RESPIRATOR; Discomfort; Technology; Psychology, Applied; Social Sciences; Science & Technology; SIZE
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of face masks by the public has helped to slow the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the community. Cloth masks have been recommended because of their effectiveness, availability, and reusability. Like other types of face masks, however, user discomfort while wearing cloth masks is thought to engender behaviors that limit the effectiveness of cloth masks as source control (e.g., adjusting or removing one's mask temporarily while in public). To design cloth masks that are more tolerable, a measurement instrument for assessing subjective user discomfort is needed. Across two studies, we identified and confirmed a two-dimensional factor structure underlying the discomfort of cloth masks – discomfort related to the breathability and discomfort related to the tightness of the mask against the face and head. Additionally, we provide replicable evidence that both factor-subscales predict the self-reported frequencies of problematic mask-wearing behaviors.