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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Scientific Reports

Observational evaluation of children’s respirator donning ability in Indonesia and Nepal

  • Judith Covey1
  • Sarah Nila1
  • Chandika Shrestha2
  • Hastin Melur Maharti3
  • Claire J. Horwell4
  • Kusum Shahi5
  • Dicky C. Pelupessy3
  • Meghnath Dhimal5
  • Rachel L. Kendal2
5 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
  2. 2Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK
  3. 3Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
  4. 4Institute of Hazard, Risk & Resilience, Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
  5. 5Nepal Health Research Council, Kathmandu, Nepal
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Abstract

Certified respirators, like KN95 N95, FFP2 and KF94, can offer strong protection against airborne particulates, but their effectiveness relies on proper fit and donning. This study evaluated how well children aged 6–13 years in Kathmandu, Nepal, and Bandung City, Indonesia, could independently don two child-marketed KN95-style respirators without guidance. Among 348 participants, only 21.8% met all seven essential donning criteria, though 79.6% successfully completed at least five steps. While this suggests a promising baseline, the most frequent mistake, improperly shaping the nose clip, could potentially compromise respirator effectiveness. Older children and girls generally performed better, and prior experience with KN95-style respirators was linked to greater confidence and improved technique. Respirator design also played a role in donning success. These findings reveal a critical gap between general mask-wearing familiarity and the specific skills needed for effective respirator use. The study highlights the urgent need for child-friendly respirator designs and accessible training materials, especially in regions where air pollution poses serious health risks.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{covey2026observational,
  title = {{Observational evaluation of children’s respirator donning ability in Indonesia and Nepal}},
  author = {Judith Covey and Sarah Nila and Chandika Shrestha and Hastin Melur Maharti and Claire J. Horwell and Kusum Shahi and Dicky C. Pelupessy and Meghnath Dhimal and Rachel L. Kendal},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-64861-6},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-64861-6},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Observational evaluation of children’s respirator donning ability in Indonesia and Nepal
AU  - Judith Covey
AU  - Sarah Nila
AU  - Chandika Shrestha
AU  - Hastin Melur Maharti
AU  - Claire J. Horwell
AU  - Kusum Shahi
AU  - Dicky C. Pelupessy
AU  - Meghnath Dhimal
AU  - Rachel L. Kendal
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/04
JO  - Scientific Reports
DO  - 10.1038/s41598-026-64861-6
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-64861-6
AB  - Certified respirators, like KN95 N95, FFP2 and KF94, can offer strong protection against airborne particulates, but their effectiveness relies on proper fit and donning. This study evaluated how well children aged 6–13 years in Kathmandu, Nepal, and Bandung City, Indonesia, could independently don two child-marketed KN95-style respirators without guidance. Among 348 participants, only 21.8% met all seven essential donning criteria, though 79.6% successfully completed at least five steps. While this suggests a promising baseline, the most frequent mistake, improperly shaping the nose clip, could potentially compromise respirator effectiveness. Older children and girls generally performed better, and prior experience with KN95-style respirators was linked to greater confidence and improved technique. Respirator design also played a role in donning success. These findings reveal a critical gap between general mask-wearing familiarity and the specific skills needed for effective respirator use. The study highlights the urgent need for child-friendly respirator designs and accessible training materials, especially in regions where air pollution poses serious health risks.
SN  - 2045-2322
ER  -