Mask wearing on an HBCU campus during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: Young adults of age 18–29 years old account for the most COVID-19 cases in the US, and ethnic groups were affected disproportionately. Correctly wearing a face mask remains a critical intervention for COVID-19 mitigation. The study aimed to examine how well Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) residents adhered to mask wearing during the pandemic. Methods: We conducted an observational study on an urban HBCU campus and the neighborhoods in Maryland for 13 weeks in spring 2021. Results: Of 1926 (1126 on campus; 800 off campus) persons observed, 89.8% wore masks, with 83.5% covering their mouths and noses. The HBCU campus showed better mask adherence than neighborhoods (92.0% vs. 86.7%). The most common improper mask wearing was nose out, followed by only-on-chin. Cloth and surgical masks were worn the most. Conclusion: The HBCU campus and neighborhood settings presented a high rate of facemask use during the pandemic.

Keywords:

• College
• COVID‐19
• face masks
• HBCU
• young adults

Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank the support and help from Dr. Margaret Riggs, CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response Team, Dr. David Blythe, Maryland Department of Health, and student volunteer observers, including Loyde Vumpa, Madina Diallo, Christabelle Agyapong, Abdul Quadir Yussuf, Christal Carr, Barbara Osafo, Deja Caton, Lauren Herring, Chloe Hamilton, Iyawnna Maple, Gabriela Hiciano, Ana-Lei Kalawe-Edwards, Aderinsola Toyinbo, Salehah Ahmad, Yewande Adisa, Monica Bandora, Onyinye Okeke, Elaina Owens, Keira Lewis, Sophia Selenou-Yemgang, and Taylor Odoms.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements of the United States of America, and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Morgan State University.

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.