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The aim of this paper is to identify factors associated with face masking in New Zealand during COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown to inform strategies to socialise and support mass masking.

Mass masking is emerging as a key non-pharmaceutical intervention for reducing community spread of COVID-19. However, although hand washing, social distancing and bubble living have been widely adopted by the ‘team of 5 million’, mass masking has not been socialised to the general population.

A quantitative online survey conducted in New Zealand during April 2020 invited residents aged $18 years to complete a questionnaire. Questions about face masking were included in the survey. The sample was drawn from a commissioned research panel survey, with boosted sampling for Ma-ori and Pacific participants. Responses were weighted to reflect the New Zealand population for all analyses.

The results show that, out of a total of 1015 participants: 

• Self-reported beliefs were strongly related to behaviours, with respondents viewing face masking measures as ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ effective in preventing them from contracting COVID-19 more likely to report having worn a face mask than respondents who viewed them as ‘not at all’ effective.
• The strongest barriers to face mask use included beliefs that there was a mask shortage and that the needs of others were greater than their own.

This paper thus highlights the efficacy of and dispelling myths about the relative efficacy of mask types and socialising people to the purpose of mass masking will contribute to community protective actions of mask wearing in the New Zealand response to COVID-19.