Abstract
Background: Face masks have become a crucial part of everyday life across the globe since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.
Objectives: To study the impact of prolonged use of facemasks on the health of the population of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Method: This was a cross sectional study; the non-probability convenient sampling method was used to collect data on 248 subjects via online-Google form questionnaire. The questionnaire provided information on the personal, sociodemographic characteristics, and clinical aspects of the studied subjects.
Statistical analysis: data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. The Chi square test of significance was used. The level of significance was 0.05.
Results: Respiratory tract infection (RTI) is common in Saudi Arabia. About 25% of the subjects did not use facemasks. Almost all the subjects who used facemasks knew how to wear them and the reason for their use, and were worried about catching RTI. A minority of the studied subjects didn't know the association between chronic diseases and RTI.
Males significantly felt more than females that wearing facemasks would make them embarrassed, and would affect critically their social communication. The majority of the studied subjects did not want to wear a mask when they had flu, and they thought that others should protect themselves. Facemasks interfere with smoking habits and practicing exercise. Wearing masks was associated with a feeling of difficulty of breathing when walking, causing headache, skin problems and sore throat. Also the majority could not handle wearing masks for 3 hours straight. About 60% of the subjects felt uncomfortable when they sit with people who do not wear masks. The females significantly felt that the surgical mask is better than the cloth mask, compared to males. The majority prefer to wear one mask only, and use it several times.
Conclusion: Respiratory tract infection is common in Jeddah city. A great proportion of the subjects do not wear facemasks in public places, particularly when they have flu. Wearing of facemasks is associated with several clinical adverse effects. The knowledge about types and use of the facemasks is deficient in a great proportion of the population. These points will help the health care planners when they design health education programs to educate the public about use of facemasks and the ways to avoid physical side effects