Observation of spectators’ mask-wearing behavior at a national basketball tournament

ABSTRACT

Rationale/purpose:

Mass gathering events have resumed with the availability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. However, the pandemic is ongoing and such events potentially contribute to upsurges in COVID-19 cases. There is mounting evidence that public health mitigation strategies such as mask requirements, capacity restrictions, and physical distancing reduce transmission risk. However, evidence suggests imperfect compliance with these strategies. This study aimed to quantify spectators’ masking behaviors and identify correlates of mask-wearing during a major sporting event.

Design/methodology/approach:

This study used a repeated cross-sectional design, in which trained observers used a web-based application to record counts of mask-wearing.

Findings:

Overall, 74% of spectators observed correctly wore masks. Mask-wearing behavior was associated with presumed sex, location of the spectator, game competitiveness, and whether the teams playing originated from a state with an active mask mandate.

Implications:

Understanding the factors associated with masking behavior may help venues prepare for future events and identify innovative and targeted strategies to promote compliance with public health mitigation measures.

Contribution:

This study makes contributions to understanding how to manage public health risks during a high-profile sporting event, specifically by identifying spectator-, game-, venue-, and state-level factors associated with mask-wearing.

KEYWORDS:

• Spectator event
• mass gathering
• public health
• pandemic
• sporting event

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Virginia Caine, MD and Karen Holly, MBA from the Marion County Public Health Department; Katie Allen, BS, Amber Blackmon, MPH, Jyotsna Gutta, MPH, Richard Jones, BS, Nicholas Kiehl, Whitney Seeley, Erin Vest, Valerie Yeager, DrPH, and Lauren Yoder from Indiana University for their contributions.The National Library of Medicine had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit this manuscript for publication. Dr. Vest reported receiving grants from Resolve to Save Lives to the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health during the conduct of the study and is a founder and equity holder in Uppstroms, a health technology company. Resolve to Save Lives had no role in the design and conduct of the study, or in the collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data, or in the preparation and review of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Library of Medicine [grant number T15LM012502].