In one study, men more often than women reported not wearing masks. This trend is not new as it was also visible during previous epidemics. But the obligation to wear a mask would make it possible to erase this gap somewhat.
From this Monday, July 20, 2020 in France, wearing a mask will become compulsory in enclosed public spaces. This measure is in addition to that concerning transport in common, where wearing a mask has been in effect since the start of deconfinement. In other words, wearing a mask is not an obligation in open public spaces, i.e. the street, parks, the beach, at sea or on hiking trails.
It could be that wearing a mandatory mask in enclosed spaces helps to reduce a certain trend. As a study published on the PsyArxiv platform on May 16, 2020 explains, men wear masks less than women. To reach this conclusion, Valerio Capraro (economist) and Hélène Barcelo (mathematician) questioned 2,500 people in the United States.
According to the results, men declare more often do not wear a mask , especially when it is not mandatory. Among the reasons mentioned, we find qualifiers that may seem quite ridiculous in times of pandemic. Some men think that wearing a mask is not "fun", that it is a sign of weakness or even a shameful act.
Questioned by the BBC on July 19, 2020, the two authors of the study indicate that some men consider that they will be less affected by the disease than women. However, the fact is that, when it comes to SARS-CoV-2, men are more at risk than women!
But the fact that mask-wearing is more neglected among men is nothing new. Indeed, a 2004 study had shown that this was already the case during the SARS epidemic in Hong Kong. By the way, let's mention a recent Reuters article mentioning the fact that in the United States, men are generally less likely to wash their hands than women.
For Christina Garvert, researcher in behavioral science, this is not surprising. Indeed, there are differences in apprehension of risk according to gender. In addition, men are on average less altruistic and more selfish. Thus, it would be necessary to adapt the speech concerning the wearing of the mask. In any case, in view of this trend, making it mandatory – at least in enclosed spaces – is surely the most useful measure.
