Associations between worry about mental and physical health and the use of face masks: Exploring discrimination as a moderator among Black Americans.

Abstract

Given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19, it is important to understand factors that may underlie Black American emerging adults' adherence to safety guidelines that could potentially reduce spread of illness and hospitalization. The current study examined how COVID-19 worry about mental health (CWMH) and COVID-19 worry about physical health (CWPH) predicted use of face masks, and whether perceived discrimination moderated these relations. The sample included 164 Black American emerging adults, age 18-25 (M = 8.82, SD = 2.06). Findings indicated that perceived discrimination was a moderator, such that at higher levels of discrimination, CWMH predicted use of face masks, but this relation was not significant at lower levels of discrimination. CWPH did not predict use of face masks, and perceived discrimination was not a moderator of this relation. Overall, considering the role of race-related experiences and CWMH is important for understanding the use of face masks among Black Americans.