Age-Old Dilemma of Pregnancy During Residency: A Cross-Sectional Study From Central India on Perceptions and Experiences of Female Medicos.

Abstract

Introduction The integration of family and career poses a significant problem for women in the medical profession.Balancing residency program demands with burgeoning family issues has always been a dilemma for female medicos.Lack of support and sometimes hostility from life partners, program administrators, teachers, and other residents havebeen reported. The present study is an attemptto assess perceptions and experiences of female medicos regarding pregnancy during residency. Methods The present descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in a government medical college and hospital, which is a tertiary care center as well as a public sector teaching and training institute located in central India. Data were collected by interview technique using apredesigned and pretested questionnaire.Data were analyzed using the statistical software Epi Info version 7.2.5 (CDC, Atlanta, Georgia). Mean and standard deviations were calculated for continuous variables and the chi-square test was applied for categorical variables. Results Of the 612 study subjects, 409 (66.8%) belonged to the clinical disciplines and 203 (33.2%) were from nonclinical and paraclinical disciplines. A total of 66 (32.5%)subjects from the paraclinical and nonclinical sides had experienced pregnancy during residency, whereas only 54 (13.2%)from the clinical side werepregnant during residency. Positive influences for pregnancy during residency were concerns about age and fertility, pressure from in-laws and parents, desire for family and pregnancy, etc., all with a mean score of 3.5 and above on a five-point Likert scale. Tight schedules,availability of childcare arrangements, support from faculty and other residents, etc. wererelatively negative influences with a mean score of less than 3.5. Around 66% of those from nonclinical and paraclinical groups had conceived before 26 years of their age, whereas only 30% of residents from clinical departments had experienced pregnancy before that age. Thus, the age at conception was relatively lower in residents from nonclinical and paraclinical disciplines as compared to their counterparts from clinical disciplines, and this difference was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001). Thecomplications during pregnancyweremore in clinical residents than in those from the nonclinical and paraclinical side. Conclusions This study concludes that concerns about age and fertility, pressure from in-laws and parents, desire for family and pregnancy, and enjoying children are relatively positive influences on the occurrence of pregnancy, whereastight schedule,availability of childcare arrangements, support from faculty and other residents, and timing professionally are relatively negative influences.