Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand Mask Wearing Behavior among College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mask wearing has been a central non-pharmaceutical intervention recommended to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Despite public health guidance, adherence to mask wearing recommendations varied substantially among college students, a population that often-reported lower perceived susceptibility to severe illness. Understanding the psychosocial and behavioral factors that influence mask wearing intentions is essential for designing effective interventions. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) offers a useful framework for examining how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predict intentions to engage in protective behaviors. Past behavior and demographic variables, such as sex, race, ethnicity, and vaccination status, may also contribute to variability in compliance. This study applied the TPB to identify key predictors of college students' intentions to properly wear a face mask in public settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.A cross-sectional, quantitative survey was administered in March 2022 to undergraduate students (N=884) at a large southeastern university. Participants self-reported demographic characteristics, past mask wearing behavior, and TPB constructs related to mask wearing. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, independent samples t-tests, ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess relationships between predictor variables and intentions to wear a mask.Subjective norms, past behavior, attitudes, and sex emerged as significant predictors of intentions to properly wear a face mask. Subjective norms, past mask wearing behavior, attitudes, and sex explained 71.6% of the variance in intentions to properly wear face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Males, unvaccinated individuals, and White participants reported lower intentions to wear masks compared to other groups. Participants who had consistently engaged in proper mask wearing behavior were significantly more likely to intend to wear a mask in the future. Findings highlight the critical role of social influence, past behavior, and demographic differences in shaping college students' intentions. Public health strategies should integrate mask wearing into broader emergency preparedness frameworks, normalize preventive behaviors through consistent and transparent communication, and tailor interventions to address gender, cultural, and racial differences in health messaging. Findings from this study have implications for future intervention development aimed at preventive efforts for respiratory illnesses.