Wearing school uniforms in childhood linked with wearing anti-COVID-19 masks in adulthood: an instrumental variable approach

Despite relaxed of COVID-19 mask mandates at the time of this research, individuals in some countries, including Japan, continued to wear masks. This research suggests that childhood experiences of wearing school uniforms could influence anti-COVID-19 mask-wearing preferences in adulthood. Utilizing macro data on exogenous variations from the expansion of the apparel industry and quasi-experimental survey data, we establish causal links of childhood educational experiences. Findings indicate younger cohorts with school uniform experiences tend to persist in wearing masks when near others, even without mandates. This reflects the impact of childhood experiences on later-life behaviors through the development of other-regarding preferences.