Gender disparity of invited speakers at the American Association of Orthodontists Annual Session: A cross-sectional analysis 2015-2023

Abstract

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) Annual Session aims to educate members using expert speakers in the field. Selection to speak is an honor and can help further an orthodontist's career and credibility. A European study found a significant gender discrepancy in selected speakers at their orthodontic meeting. This has not been investigated in the United States. Speaker names from the 2015-2023 AAO Annual Sessions were obtained and analyzed for gender and then compared with active membership and orthodontic faculty percentages. In addition, the gender of each General Chair and Doctors' Program Chair was analyzed and then compared with the female speaker and membership percentages. Because AAO research award winners are selected blindly, show expertise in the field, and are provided an opportunity to speak at the Annual Session, their gender was also confirmed and compared with membership percentage and female speaker percentage. Two-way chi-square tests were used, and P values of<0.05 were considered statistically significant. Mann-Kendall trend tests analyzed any potential changes in gender representation among AAO active memberships and AAO Annual Session speakers. Female doctors were underrepresented as speakers (P values ranged from<0.001 to<0.05) in every year studied except 2020 compared with active membership and female faculty percentages. Female doctors were also significantly underrepresented as Annual Session General Chairs and Doctors' Program Chairs (P<0.01). The difference in female doctor representation among research awards winners (63%) compared with the Annual Session speakers (19%) was highly significant. Female representation in AAO active membership shows a significant increase from 2015 to 2023. The ratio of female-to-male speakers appears to be increasing but did not reach statistical significance. Female doctors are underrepresented as selected speakers at the AAO Annual Session but comprise the majority of research award recipients. Efforts to provide opportunities for women to showcase their knowledge should be implemented.