In:
Mindfulness, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 13, No. 12 ( 2022-12), p. 3123-3133
Abstract:
Avoiding touching the eyes, nose, and mouth (T-zone) is a strategy to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a brief mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) named “STOP (Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, Proceed) touching your face” for reducing face-touching behavior. Methods In this online-based, two-arm, wait-list, randomized controlled trial, eligible participants were randomly assigned to the intervention ( n = 545) or control group ( n = 545). The results of 60-min self-monitoring of face-touching behavior were reported before and after the intervention. Reduction of the percentage of T-zone touching was the primary outcome, and reduction of face-touching frequency was a key secondary outcome. Outcomes were analyzed on an intention-to-treat (ITT) basis with a complete case analysis (CCA). Results ITT analysis revealed that the percentage of T-zone touching was significantly reduced by 8.1% in the intervention group (from 81.1 to 73.0%, RR = 0.901, OR = 0.631, RD = − 0.081, p = 0.002), and insignificantly reduced by 0.6% in the control group (from 80.0 to 79.4%, p = 0.821). Fewer participants performed T-zone touching in the intervention group than in the control group (73.0% vs. 79.4%, RR = 0.919, OR = 0.700, RD = − 0.064, p = 0.015) after the intervention, and there was a greater reduction of T-zone touching frequency in the intervention group than in the control group [mean ± SD: 1.7 ± 5.13 vs. 0.7 ± 3.98, mean difference (95% CI): 1.03 (0.48 to 1.58), p 〈 0.001, Cohen’s d = − 0.218]. The above results were further confirmed by CCA. Conclusions This brief mindfulness-based intervention was potentially effective at reducing the spread of COVID-19 and could be further investigated as an intervention for preventing other infectious diseases spread by hand-to-face touching. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04330352.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1868-8527
,
1868-8535
DOI:
10.1007/s12671-022-02019-x
Language:
English
Publisher:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Date:
2022
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2543424-X
SSG:
5,21
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