Abstract
Question addressed In contrast with pain, dyspnoea is not visible to the general public who lack the corresponding experiential baggage. We tested the hypotheses that the generalised use of face masks to fight SARS-CoV2 dissemination could change this and sensitise people to respiratory health.
Methods General population polling (1012-person panel demographically representative of the adult French population –quota sampling method–; 517 women, 51%). 860 (85%) answered “no” to “treated for a chronic respiratory disease” (“respiratory healthy”, RH) and 152 “yes” (“respiratory disease”, RD). 14% of RH respondents reported having a close family member treated for a chronic respiratory disease (RH-family+ and RH-family−). Respondents described mask-related attitudes, beliefs, inconveniencies, dyspnoea, and changes in their respiratory health vision.
Results Compliance with masks was high (94.7%). Dyspnoea ranked first among mask inconveniencies (RD 79.3%, RH 67.3%, p=0.013). “Air hunger” was the main sensory dyspnoea descriptor. Mask-related dyspnoea was independently associated with belonging to RH-family+ (Odds Ratio [OR] [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 1.85 [1.16–2.98]) and removing masks to improve breathing (OR 5.21 [3.73–7.28]). It was negatively associated with considering masks effective to protect others (OR]: 0.42 [0.25–0.75]). Half the respondents were more concerned with their respiratory health since wearing masks; 41% reported better understanding patients’ experiences.
Answer to the question Wearing protective face masks leads to the mass discovery of breathing discomfort. It raises the public's awareness of what respiratory diseases involve and sensitises to the importance of breathing. These data should be used as the fulcrum of respiratory-health-oriented communication actions.
Footnotes
This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal. It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article.
Conflict of interest: Dr. SERRESSE has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Dr. Simon-Tillaux has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Dr. Decavèle has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Dr. GAY has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Dr. NION has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Dr. Lavault has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Dr. GUERDER has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Mr. CHATELET reports being an employee from the IFOP polling institute, during the conduct of the study.
Conflict of interest: Mr. DABI reports being an employee from the IFOP polling institute, during the conduct of the study; .
Conflict of interest: Dr. Demoule reports grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Philips, personal fees from Baxter, personal fees and non-financial support from Fisher & Paykel, grants from French Ministry of Health, personal fees from Getinge, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Respinor, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Lungpacer, personal fees from Lowenstein, personal fees from Gilead, outside the submitted work; .
Conflict of interest: Dr. Morélot-Panzini reports personal fees from Astra-Zeneca, GSK, SOS Oxygène, ADEP, ISIS, Resmed, Chiesi, Menarini, Vivisol, Air Liquide, Lowenstein, Fisher & Paykel, outside the submitted work; .
Conflict of interest: Dr. MORICOT has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Dr. SIMILOWSKI reports personal fees from AstraZeneca France, personal fees from Boerhinger Ingelheim France, personal fees and non-financial support from Novartis France, personal fees from TEVA France, personal fees from Chiesi France, personal fees from Lungpacer Inc, personal fees from ADEP Assistance, grants from Air Liquide Medical Systems, outside the submitted work; .
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- Received May 23, 2021.
- Accepted August 3, 2021.
- Copyright ©The authors 2021. For reproduction rights and permissions contact permissions{at}ersnet.org
