Health Beliefs of Wearing Facemasks for Influenza A/H1N1 Prevention : A Qualitative Investigation of Hong Kong Older Adults

Although vaccination is the first-line strategy controlling and preventing influenza A/H1N1 for older adults, personal protective measures, such as wearing facemasks, are also important preventive behaviors to reduce the risk of becoming infected with influenza A/H1N1 during a pandemic. In the current study, we aimed to explore the belief-related psychological factors of wearing facemasks for influenza A/H1N1 prevention in a sample of Hong Kong older adults. Community-dwelling Chinese adults (N = 137) aged between 65 and 80 years (Mage = 75.10; SDage = 6.49) participated in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using theoretical thematic analysis and identified themes were matched d…