DURATION OF FACEMASK USE AND ITS EFFECTS ON SOME RESPIRATORY PARAMETERS AMONG OVERWEIGHT FEMALE UNDERGRADUATES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

ABSTRACT

The use of facemask have been evident for quite a long time now in the field of medical and scientific research. With the COVID-19 pandemic, its use have skyrocketed in recent times. Governments, non-governmental organizations and civil society have improved sensitization of populations on how to behave with face masks while talking to avoid the spread of the COVID-19. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of facemask use on some respiratory parameters among overweight female undergraduates. Forty (40) subjects were used for the study and when they came into the laboratory, they were made to sit while measurement of the respiratory parameters were done in the following order: Pre-exposure to facemask, one (1) hour after exposure to facemask, two (2) hours after exposure to facemask, three (3) hours after exposure to facemask, four (4) hours after exposure and twenty-four (24) hours post exposure to facemask. The facemask used for this study was the Vinco surgical facemask. The respiratory parameters measured were: Respiratory rate, breath holding time, oxygen saturation level and peak expiratory flow rate. 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 mean of test and control values while Post Hoc test was done using Scheffe test and a P value<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results revealed no statistical significant difference among the test groups when compared with control. Hence it was concluded that the duration of facemask use had no effect on the measured respiratory parameters.