DURATION OF FACEMASK USE AND ITS EFFECTS ON SOME RESPIRATORY INDICIES AMONG OVERWEIGHT MALE UNDERGRADUATES IN UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

ABSTRACT

Face mask, also known as such as a medical face mask or surgical mask, is a personal protective equipment used by healthcare professionals and now the entire world due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Much attention has been given to the role of the surgical mask in helping control the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty (40) subjects were used for the study and when they came into the laboratory they were made to sit while measurements of respiratory parameters were done int the following order; pre-exposure to facemask, 1hour exposure to facemask, 2hour exposure to facemask, 3hour exposure to facemask, 4hour exposure to exposure and 24hour post exposure to facemask. The facemask used in this study was surgical facemask. The respiratory parameters measured include; breathing hold time, respiratory rate, peak expiratory flow rate and oxygen saturation level. Statistical analysis was done using IBM Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 28.0. Results were presented as Mean ± SEM (Standard Error of Mean). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the means of tests and control values while post-hoc test was done using scheffe test and a P value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The result revealed no statistically significant difference among the test group when compared with the control. However, there was a statistically significant increase in peak expiratory flow rate and oxygen saturation level among the 24hour post exposure measurement. In conclusion, the use of facemask has no harmful effect on respiratory parameters among overweight male undergraduates.