Evaluation of the Participation of Brazilian Women in Research in Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine.

Abstract

Despite recent advancements, women still encounter significant challenges in various fields, including dentistry. However, the increasing interest in female participation in science acknowledges its fundamental role in the advancement of knowledge. This study aims to assess indicators of women's involvement in Brazilian research in the areas of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine. This cross-sectional study evaluated 197 professionals affiliated with the Brazilian Society of Stomatology and Oral Pathology in 2023. Data were collected from publicly available Lattes curriculum and organized into three sets of information: researcher profile, scientific production and human resources formation. Both the data from the researcher's entire career and from the last 5 years (2019-2023) were assessed separately. Descriptive analyses of categorical variables were performed, while the Mann-Whitney test was employed to compare the numerical variables regarding researchers' gender. Of 197 professionals, 117 (59.4%) were female. Although there was no significant difference in scientific production between genders, men had more publications, received approximately twice as many citations, and exhibited higher H-index values compared to women. Notably, women surpassed men in undergraduate student supervision, while men predominated in supervising master's and PhD students. This study highlighted the relevance of female participation in Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine research in Brazil. However, disparities persist regarding women participation, especially in scientific article citations and postgraduate students' supervision.