Female Practitioners Research Articles

Spinal curvatures of yoga practitioners compared to control participants-a cross-sectional study.

PurposeThe angles of thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis determine the spinal alignment in the sagittal plane. The aim of this study was to compare the thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis of male and female yoga practitioners with non-practicing participants and to determine the possible dependencies between sagittal spinal curvatures and somatic parameters, time spent on yoga exercise, and undertaking other physical activities in yoga practitioners.MethodsThe study involved 576 women and 91 men ages 18–68 years (mean = 38.5 ± 9) who were practicing yoga, and 402 women and 176 men ages 18–30 years (mean = 20.2 ± 1.3) as a control group. The angles of thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis were measured using a Plurimeter-V gravity inclinometer.ResultsThe two-way ANOVA demonstrated the influence of group (p < .0001) and sex (p = .03) on the angle of thoracic kyphosis, as well as the influence of group (p < .0001) and sex (p < .0001) on the angle of lumbar lordosis. It was noted that yoga practitioners had less pronounced thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis and were more often characterized by normal or smaller thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis than students from the control group. In yoga practitioners, the angle of thoracic kyphosis was positively correlated with age, body mass, BMI, and undertaking other forms of physical activity. The angle of lumbar lordosis was negatively correlated with body height and body mass.ConclusionsThe results suggest that yoga exercises can affect the shape of the anterior-posterior curves of the spine and may be an efficient training method for shaping proper posture in adults.

Reproductive Health Care from Fascism to Forza Nuova

This article examines pronatalism from Fascism to Forza Nuova to investigate how far-right political groups in Italy have historically approached reproductive health care. Visual analysis of posters and films read in context with the urbanism of Roman streets and rationalist obstetric clinics clarifies the specific strategies these groups have used to discredit female health-care practitioners and the broader reproductive choices they have traditionally provided to women. At stake in these artistic antecedents are the constellation of far-right causes and religious concerns that anchor and inform the current call for what I term the “new pronatalism,” defined here as the promotion of higher birthrates among native Italians to buttress nationalist demographic might. Forza Nuova frames their bid for Italian women to birth more children as oppositional: “Births at historic lows/Italy needs children/not gay marriage and immigrants.” By tracing the development of far-right breastfeeding propaganda over time, we can better understand authoritarian bids for control over reproductive health care today.

The invisible stigmatisation of female practitioners in international arbitration

AbstractThe paper is a study of the gender-based stigmatisation process of elite professionals in an international legal field. It uses commercial arbitration as an example of an international profession and adds to the prevalent understanding of gender inequality by developing a framework called ‘invisible stigmatisation’. The main theoretical framework is supported by twenty-two semi-structured interviews conducted across five international arbitration jurisdictions and two original datasets. These data have helped to contextualise the nuances of gender-based stigmatisation in prestigious arbitral appointments and at the echelons of international arbitration law firms. The paper establishes that the stigmatising experiences drive elite female professionals and their gender-equality consciousness. These experiences also lead to them devise innovative strategies to minimise the effects of gender inequality on their professional lives.

Rethinking Gender and Female Laity in Late Imperial Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Biographies

This paper explores how lay female believers are depicted in the Chinese monastic Pure Land Buddhist texts and how a particular late-imperial Chinese Buddhist biography collection betrayed the previously existing narrative of female laity. Moreover, I wish to show that there had existed a long-lasting and persistent non-binary narrative of lay women in Chinese Pure Land biographies admiring female agency, in which female Pure Land practitioners are depicted as equally accomplished to male ones. Such a narrative betrays the medieval monastic elitist discourse of seeing women as naturally corrupted. This narrative is best manifested in the late Ming monk master Yunqi Zhuhong’s collection, who celebrated lay female practitioners’ religious achievement as comparable to men. This tradition is discontinued in the Confucian scholar Peng Shaosheng’s collection of lay female Buddhist biographies in the Qing dynasty, however, in which Peng depicts women as submissive and inferior to males. This transition—from using the stories of eminent lay female Buddhists to challenge Confucian teachings to positioning lay females under Confucian disciplines—exhibits Peng Shaosheng’s own invention, rather than a transmission of the inherited formulaic narration of lay female believers, as he claimed.

Local Dental Emergencies and Mitigation Strategies Adopted by Private Dental Practitioners of South India during COVID-19 Shelter in Place Warning - Multi-Centric Online Survey

Objective: To evaluate the common dental emergencies reported to dental practitioners and to compare the mitigation strategies implemented during the Shelter-In-Place (SIP) warning with dental practitioners’ age and sex. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey among the dental practitioners of south India during the period of COVID-19 SIP warning. An initial pool of items was prepared to capture the mitigation strategies in managing local dental emergencies. A structured questionnaire was then prepared in English based on the inputs of four expert dentist panel. Age and sex of the practitioners were also recorded. Results: The mean age of the dental practitioners was 37.11(range: 23 - 63) years.Of 159 dental practitioners that responded to survey, 90 were male. Most dental practitioners responded that they were contacted through a phone call (n=140) and WhatsApp messaging (n=108). The common dental emergencies reported were tooth pain (100%), swelling (91.7%), a decayed tooth (81.3%), and gum pain (78.6%). A higher number of male than female dental practitioners had “scheduled the treatment immediately” (OR=3.45; P=0.002) after adjusting for age. Conclusion:The most common dental emergencies during COVID-19 SIP were tooth pain, swelling, decayed teeth, and gum pain. Males and older dental practitioners scheduled appointments immediately.

Comprehensive Profiling through a Cross-sectional Assessment on the Awareness about Eye Protection Safety among Dental Professionals in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT Purpose Eye injuries account for 3–4% of all occupational injuries; however, dental practitioners are at relatively high risk of occupational ocular incidents during their practices. The study aims to assess the attitude, knowledge, and awareness towards the safety of the eye; measures undertaken for its protection and its probable variations regarding age, gender, qualification, and years of practice among dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia (SA). Methods In this cross-sectional study, 348 dental practitioners and dental staff from SA participated. Besides demography, information regarding their knowledge, attitude, perception towards eye safety protection, and measures followed was collected through a 28-questions structured questionnaire posted online. Results Among the participants, 47.4% were male, 52.6% female, and 55% dentists. The data revealed that about 47% of the dentists were following clinical safety programs in their practice, 68% were employing a very high-level eye protection measure, whereas about 40% followed these measures just before starting the procedure, yet nearly 38% of the dentists faced ocular injury. Female practitioners had the highest level of knowledge on eye safety and protection. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that the awareness of the need for eye protection and inclusion of safety-glasses for UV protection were significant independent determinants of eye-injury incidence among dental professionals. Conclusion This survey comprehensively profiles dental professionals’ awareness and attitude about safety measures for their eye protection in their practice. Thus, the outcome of the study may pave the way for practicing an evidence-based safety approach towards the prevention of occupational ocular incidents in SA.

Ontario dentists' ease to discuss sensitive health issues with their patients: A cross-sectional study.

With consistent calls for a more integrated approach to improve the healthcare system's effectiveness, the scope of practice for dentists has expanded; dentists are now seen to positively intervene to address several sensitive health issues among their patients. However, it is not clear how comfortable dentists feel in doing so. This study endeavored to assess self-perceived ease of dentists to discuss various sensitive health issues and if their socio-demographics influence their ease. A self-administered online survey was sent to Ontario dentists (n=9975) to assess their self-perceived ease in discussing five sensitive health issues with their patients: eating disorders, substance abuse, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexual behaviors, and physical abuse. Ordinal logistic regressions were performed along with descriptive analyses. The response rate was 9.3%. Over 50% of participants indicated difficulty discussing STIs, sexual behaviors and physical abuse. Younger dentists, female practitioners, dentists practicing in private settings, and those practicing in rural areas perceived more difficulty to discuss all five health issues. Place of training was also a significant predictor: internationally trained dentists perceived it easier to discuss eating disorders, substance abuse, and physical abuse while Canadian trained were more at ease to discuss STIs and sexual behaviors. This exploratory study identified that a large proportion of dentists are not comfortable discussing sensitive health issue with their patients. There are numerous opportunities for intervention in Canadian dental curriculums, continuing education programs, and communication practices to support dentists' discussions with patients about these important health concerns.

Biomechanical Characteristics on the Lower Extremity of Three Typical Yoga Manoeuvres.

This study was aimed at exploring the biomechanical characteristics of the lower extremity amongst three typical yoga manoeuvres. A total of thirteen experienced female yoga practitioners were recruited in the current study; they were all certified with the Yoga Alliance. A three-dimensional motion capture system with 10 cameras combined with four synchronised force plates was used to collect kinematics of the lower extremity and ground reactive force whilst the participants performed the crescent lunge pose, warrior II pose, and triangle pose. One-way repeated ANOVA was used in exploring the differences amongst the three yoga movements, and the significance was set to alpha < 0.05. The triangle pose performed the largest range of motion (ROM) of the hip (90.5° ± 22.9°), knee (68.8° ± 23.1°), and ankle (46.4° ± 11.3°) in the sagittal plane and the hip (54.8° ± 6.5°), knee (42.4° ± 12.8°), and ankle (4.8° ± 1.7°) in the frontal plane amongst the three manoeuvres (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found for the hip and ankle joint moment amongst the three manoeuvres (P > 0.05). Knee joint travelled into 9.5° of extension and slight adduction of 1.94° whilst expressing the largest knee joint adduction moments (0.30 ± 0.22 Nm/kg) in the triangle pose. The distribution of the angular impulse of the lower limb joints indicated that the hip joint contributed significantly the most in the sagittal and frontal planes of the three yoga manoeuvres (P < 0.05), ranging from 51.67% to 70.56%. Results indicated that triangle pose may be superior to the other two manoeuvres, which improved hip joint ROM, strength, and dynamic stability. However, knee injuries such as osteoarthritis (OA) should be considered because of the large knee extensor angle and adductor moments.

P–047 Knowledge, professional attitudes and training of health professionals on male contraceptive methods

Abstract Study question Among health professionals involved in contraceptive prescribing, what are the knowledge, professional attitudes and training on male contraceptive methods? Summary answer The health professionals involved in prescribing contraception are not sufficiently trained in male contraception and almost all of them want more. What is known already The most recent large-scale studies show that 70% of couple contraception is provided by women and that the majority of men and women would be willing to adopt male contraception as couple contraception. The medicalization of contraception places the medical profession at the forefront of the acceptability of and information regarding a contraceptive method. However, only one study have evaluated health professionals’ knowledge of the various methods of male contraception (MC), including male hormonal contraception (MHC) and male thermal contraception (MTC). Study design, size, duration Between April 2020 and June 2020, we carried out a descriptive prospective multicentre study in a medical population of 2243 prescribers of couple contraception in France. Participants/materials, setting, methods The participants were obstetrician-gynaecologists, medical gynaecologists, general practitioners or midwives. They completed a three-part numerical questionnaire, including i) sociodemographic characteristics and personal experiences with contraception, ii) knowledge and professional attitudes about male contraception and iii) training on male contraception. Main results and the role of chance The overall participation rate was 19% (340/2243). Condoms and withdrawal were known by 98% and 89% of the population, respectively. Vasectomy was known by 75% of the population and significantly better known by obstetrician-gynaecologists than by medical gynaecologists and general practitioners (p = 0.026). Male hormonal contraception (MHC) and male thermal contraception (MTC) were known by 10% and 23% of the population, respectively, and were significantly better known by medical gynaecologists and general practitioners than by other specialties (p &amp;lt; 0.001). More than half (55%) of the population never or infrequently offered MC during a couple’s contraceptive request consultation. Female practitioners offered MC significantly more often than male practitioners (48% vs. 26%; p = 0.033). Only 14% of the population had ever participated in training on MC, 96% wished to be better trained on MC, and 86% expressed a willingness to participate in such a training. Limitations, reasons for caution The population was mainly representative of medical health practitioners of southeastern France. There was an over-representation of women in all medical specialties, except for midwives. Wider implications of the findings: Our study shows that health professionals involved in contraception have limited knowledge about MC and are eager to have more information about it. To advance the acceptability and dissemination of such contraceptive methods, it seems imperative to provide health professionals with an adapted training program on male contraception. Trial registration number 2020–01–23–03

Gender inequality among medical, pharmaceutical and dental practitioners in French hospitals: Where have we been and where are we now?

IntroductionWomen are under-represented in senior academic and hospital positions in many countries. The authors aim to assess the place and the evolution of all appointed female and male health practitioners’ working in French public Hospitals.Materials and methodsData of this observational study were collected from the National Management Centre (Centre National de Gestion) from 2015 up to January 1, 2020. First, the authors described demographic characteristics and specialties of all appointed medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry doctors’ working as Hospital Practitioners, Associate Professors, and Full Professors in French General and University-affiliated Hospitals in 2020. Then, they retrospectively reported the annual incidence of new entrance according to gender and professional status from 1999 to 2019 thanks to the appointment date of all practitioners in activity between 2015 and 2020.ResultsIn 2020, 51 401 appointed practitioners (49.7% of female) were in activity in French public hospitals with a large majority being medical doctors (92.4%) compared to pharmacists (6%) and dentists (1.6%). Women represented 52.5% of the Hospital Practitioners, 48.6% of the Associate Professors, and 22.0% of the Full Professors (p < 0.001). There were disparities between the rates of female Full Professors in medicine (20.6%), pharmacy (36.1%), and dentistry (44.3%, p < 0.001). Women were appointed Hospital Practitioners and Associate Professors earlier than men (respectively 37.1 versus 38.8 years, p < 0.001 and 36.1 versus 36.5 years, p = 0.04), and at a later age among Full Professors (43.7 versus 41.9 years, p < 0.001). Compared to men, the annual proportion of appointed women varied significantly between 1999 and 2019 from 47.6% to 60.4% for Hospital Practitioners, from 50.0% to 44.6% for Associate Professors, and from 11.2% to 33.3% for Full Professors (p < 0.001 for trend).ConclusionsAlthough more and more women occupy positions in French hospitals, there is still a gender gap regarding access to Full Professor status in medicine and pharmacy, but not in dentistry. The disparity in numbers makes comparison difficult. Despite a trend towards gender equality during the last twenty years, it has not yet been achieved regarding access to the highest positions.

Awareness, attitude and ethical concern of dental practitioners about stem cells: a cross-sectional study

Objective: To evaluate the level of awareness and attitude among dental practitioners regarding the use of stem cells in dentistry and to determine their knowledge of ethical concerns related to the recent therapy. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted at Taibah University Dental College and Hospital. Medina and at governmental and private dental clinics at the western region of Saudi Arabia. Responses of dental practitioners who completed the survey were recorded between March 2019 and July 2019 without containing any personal identifiers. Level of awareness and attitude and knowledge about ethical issues in relation to stem cell therapy was established. Results: A total of 214 male and female dental practitioners participated in this study and the majority were registered at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialists 128 (59.8%). Dental consultants reported the highest percentage of awareness about dental stem cells (96%, p= 0.005), whereas general dental practitioners (56.2%, p= 0.005) and specialists (52%, p= 0.005), respectively had a lower percentage. When ethical concerns were determined, dental consultants had the highest percentage of knowledge (56%, p= 0.005), whereas dental practitioners (71.2%, p= 0.005) with &lt; 5 years of experience (69.1, p= 0.002) lacked information about related ethical issues. Conclusion: Ways to increase stem cell awareness among dental practitioners in this study recommended including stem cell topics in the dental curriculum and organizing frequent seminars and conferences on this subject. Keywords Stem cell; Awareness; Ethical; Dental practitioner.

The Impact of Education on Business Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs in Public &amp; Private Television Advertisements in Pakistan

The emergence of private and foreign TV channels since 2002 have brought strategic changes in advertisement policies, especially in majority adds where the number of women portrayals adds are encouraged. This phenomenon leads more opportunities for women entrepreneurship in media business industry. The present study has investigated that how education play a role in enhancing more business opportunities for women entrepreneurs in advertising media. Using qualitative approach, a comparative analysis of PTV news (public) and GEO news (private) channels was done channel gives more prominence and frequency to women opportunities in their ads broadcasted in prime time (9 to 10 pm) during 30 days of simultaneous period in June 2020 amid CIVID-19 pandemic. The results shows that less educated females as media practitioners in advertisements may get less opportunities and educated females avail lucrative opportunities in Media Industry. Educational richness makes women more capable to influence more audience and grab their attention towards specific product/service with ample marketing skills and entrepreneurial eminency. Results also show that ratio of educated females in private channel advertisements is comparatively high and opportunities for highly educated female practitioners as entrepreneur are high. It is concluded that we need to support young women

Correlation of bilateral and ipsilateral strength ratios with balance in female taekwondo athletes

This study aimed to analyze preferred leg (PLs) and non-preferred leg (NPLs) isokinetic knee strength, lateral asymmetry ratios and to examine their correlation with static balance. Sixteen female taekwondo (TKD) athletes voluntarily participated in the study. Knee isokinetic extension (Ex) and flexion (Flx) strength were measured in concentric / concentric (Con / Con) contractions at angular velocities of 60°/s, 180°/s, and 240°/s. Ipsilateral hamstring / quadriceps (H/Q) and bilateral (H/H and Q /Q) ratios were calculated. Static balances were determined by taking the center of body pressure in X (COPX) and Y (COPY) axis. Paired sample t-test and Pearson correlation tests were used in statistical analysis. When the isokinetic knee strength was examined, it was found that 60°/s angular velocity parameter was significantly different in Flx phase while 180°/s and 240°/s angular velocities were found to be significantly different in Ex phase in favor of PLs. There was no significance in bilateral and ipsilateral strength ratios of all angular velocities. There was a significant correlation between 240°/s HQ and COPX in terms of ipsilateral asymmetry ratios whereas a significant correlation was found between 60°/s HH and COPX in terms of bilateral asymmetry ratios. It was found that there were differences in strength between PL and NPLs, but no asymmetry was observed. There was no high level of correlation between lateral asymmetry ratios and balance in female TKD practitioners.

The feminization and misrepresentation of public relations practitioners in Turkish tv dramas

ABSTRACT Among the roles scattered in the scenarios of the Turkish TV dramas, PR practitioners are ascribed various roles and stereotyped personal traits which are mainly represented by the female gender. They are designed and scripted as similar stereotypes that are negative characters with similar roles. This paper examines how female PR professionals have been portrayed in Turkish TV dramas. Using the approach of media framing from the perspective of gendered profession, this paper analyzes women in a variety of public relations roles in Turkish TV dramas produced between 1998 and 2020. A total of fifty-five PR female practitioners were identified in these fifty-one TV dramas. The results show that among the fifty-five (N = 55) PR practitioner characters, the majority were women (N = 52) and that the general tone of most of the characters was negative, profit-oriented and manipulative. Interestingly, the study also notes that the few (N = 3) PR characters portrayed as male were all portrayed as gay. This reinforces the idea that PR is portrayed as a feminized field. Misleading media portrayals of PR practitioners can have a negative impact on how people view the profession.

Reflexive Rejection: Confessions of our first encounters with SenseMaker®, an emerging research methodology for STEM education

Point of view (25-50 words):&#x0D; We are four female educational practitioners who engage in varying degrees and forms of teaching, research, and evaluation. And, we have been educated in legacy research methods. We are curious about new approaches to conceptualizing, inquiring into, and doing science, technology, engineering and math (‘STEM’) education that have the potential to disrupt systemic social, economic, and ecological abuse and exploitation.&#x0D; &#x0D; Value of submission (25-50 words): This autoethnographic analysis of our individual narratives serves as a cautionary tale and emotional sign-posts for those seeking to explore emerging research methodologies, particularly those that are suited for complex, dynamic social systems, such as “engineering education”: expect cognitive and/or emotional dissonance. By definition, alternative approaches to research will occur as new and possibly foreign to those trained in traditional research approaches. Such a reflexive rejection happens unconsciously and undermines the goal of learning--discovery.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Abstract&#x0D; It is becoming increasingly common to hear engineering education described as a complex system (National Science Foundation, 2018). Such a perspective shifts the focus of analysis from the parts to the whole – from individual elements to the relationships between the elements. Most engineering education researchers, however, are trained in atomistic or reductionist models of inquiry (Borrego, 2007; Laszlo, 1996; Robbins, 2007), which begs the question – how prepared are engineering education researchers to conduct research on, and productively intervene in, complex systems? As four educational practitioners who have previously embraced complex systems thinking, both in our teaching and in our research, we considered ourselves well prepared to explore a new, participatory research methodology, called SenseMaker, which is explicitly designed to understand characterize and facilitate interventions in complex systems. And yet, all four of us independently and reflexively rejected this methodology upon our first encounter with it. In this study, we used collaborative autoethnographic techniques to examine what it is about our shared cultures, experiences, and training as engineering education researchers and practitioners that led us to react in this way. We reflect on how methodologies founded on complex systems theory, like SenseMaker, often sit outside the boundaries of what we are used to and may initially occur to us as “foreign,” or even “wrong.” Further, we explore how our reflexive responses were connected to embodied cognition, that is, a recognition that “[one’s] body, beyond the brain “play[s] a significant causal… role in cognitive processing” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2011). We offer some suggestions for developing an awareness of both reflexive rejection responses and how to recognize and use our embodied cognition. These perspectives are important for researchers who seek new ways to understand and work with complex, dynamic social systems.

Public Relations Professionals’ Communication Strategies in Responding the COVID-19 Pandemic Based on Gender

Many studies have examined crisis management in various business sectors. However, COVID-19 has presented unique and interesting challenges. Using an online survey (n = 224 participants) and in-depth interviews, profiling public relations professionals’ communication strategies in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic based on gender was investigated. The findings reveal that male and female public relations practitioners have specific understandings of the COVID-19 pandemic, ways in facing the crisis, and differing public relations activities during the pandemic. They regard this pandemic as a challenge to be adoptive, innovative, and creative, enhance technology competencies, and build relationships with publics by providing up to date information. Female public relations practitioners use social media more than males and give more attention to communication programs dealing with customers, while male counterparts focus on capturing the market by strengthening the organization’s image and reputation through publicity in conventional media.

Women in British window display during the 1920s and 1930s

ABSTRACT This paper examines the role of women in window display in Britain during the 1920s and 1930s. Window display in 1920s Britain was very much men’s work. Even when women were encouraged by those outside the profession, they were not necessarily encouraged by those within it. In 1923 the daily press and women’s journals devoted space to the debate on window dressing as an ideal and suitable profession for women. However, the editorial of Display, the official organ of the British Association of Display Men, disagreed. Display believed that women were unsuccessful at window dressing, justified by claiming they did not have the natural ability to create artistic ‘open’ displays. Although the article’s author claimed they welcomed women, they believed many who had attempted it had to give it up, with their windows lacking strength and character. Nevertheless, there were successful professional female display practitioners. This paper discusses the role of women in British display, from early pioneers such as Ethel Wimhurst in 1919 to the brash American Martha Harris, who impacted on London display in the early 1930s. They and others railed against the odds to have rich and fulfilling careers.

Comparison of Physical Fitness Index (PFI) between Spinning (indoor cycling) female practitioners and Zumba female practitioners using Modified Harvard’s Step Test: A pilot study

Background: With increase in awareness about the importance of physical fitness, there has been considerable increase in proportion of population indulging in various new emerging forms of exercises such as Zumba and Spinning. Purpose of study: To assess and compare Physical Fitness Index (PFI) between females practicing two newer forms of aerobic exercises Zumba (group 1) and Spinning (group 2) and to understand whether one aerobic activity has better PFI values over other and whether they can be used interchangeably. It will also create awareness regarding both the newer forms of aerobic exercise forms Zumba and Spinning and its effect. Method: Healthy females practicing either Zumba and spinning for one year regularly were chosen. Step board of height 33 cm, metronome, stopwatch used. Modified Harvard Step test was explained and then subjects were asked to do it. Results were calculated and scoring was done. Results and Main findings: The study showed that in (Group 1) Zumba practitioners 92.86% population had excellent PFI, 7.14% population had fair PFI. In (Group 2) Spinning practitioners, 100% subjects showed excellent PFI, Group 2 had evidently greater mean PFI than group 1 but not statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference in PFI values between the subjects of two groups spinning and Zumba. Conclusion: Majority of the population of both the groups showed Excellent PFI. Both the newer types of aerobic exercise forms can be used interchangeably depending on the age of population. KEY WORDS: Zumba, Spinning, Modified Harvard’s Step test, Physical Fitness Index, Females.

Self-Perceived Health, Life Satisfaction and Related Factors among Healthcare Professionals and the General Population: Analysis of an Online Survey, with Propensity Score Adjustment

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) often suffer high levels of depression, stress, anxiety and burnout. Our main study aimswereto estimate the prevalences of poor self-perceived health, life dissatisfaction, chronic disease and unhealthy habits among HCPs and to explore the use of machine learning classification algorithms to remove selection bias. A sample of Spanish HCPs was asked to complete a web survey. Risk factors were identified by multivariate ordinal regression models. To counteract the absence of probabilistic sampling and representation, the sample was weighted by propensity score adjustment algorithms. The logistic regression algorithm was considered the most appropriate for dealing with misestimations. Male HCPs had significantly worse lifestyle habits than their female counterparts, together with a higher prevalence of chronic disease and of health problems. Members of the general population reported significantly poorer health and less satisfaction with life than the HCPs. Among HCPs, the prior existence of health problems was most strongly associated with worsening self-perceived health and decreased life satisfaction, while obesity had an important negative impact on female practitioners’ self-perception of health. Finally, the HCPs who worked as nurses had poorer self-perceptions of health than other HCPs, and the men who worked in primary care had less satisfaction with their lives than those who worked in other levels of healthcare.

The changing demographics of the orthotist/prosthetist workforce in Australia: 2007, 2012 and 2019

BackgroundPrevious Australian workforce analyses revealed a small orthotist/prosthetist workforce with a low number of practitioners per 100,000 Australians. In recent years, initiatives were implemented to increase relative workforce size, including a government-led change in immigration policy to facilitate entry of experienced internationally trained orthotist/prosthetists into the Australian workforce. Given these changes, this project aimed to compare demographics of the orthotist/prosthetist workforce in Australia and each state/territory between 2007, 2012 and 2019.MethodsThis quasi-experiment analysed data from the Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association (AOPA) database of certified orthotist/prosthetists, to compare changes in the absolute number of practitioners and the number of practitioners per 100,000 population, as well as practitioner age, gender and service location (i.e., metropolitan, regional/remote) across three time points, with a breakdown by each Australian state and territory.ResultsBetween 2007 and 2019, the number of orthotist/prosthetists per 100,000 population increased 90%. Average age reduced significantly between 2007 (41.5 years) and 2019 (35 years) (p = 0.001). While the proportion of female practitioners increased significantly between 2007 (30%) and 2019 (49%), and between 2012 (38%) and 2019 (49%) (p < 0.05); only 22% of the female workforce is over 40 years of age. The proportion of practitioners servicing a regional/remote location did not change over time (range 13–14%).ConclusionsBetween 2007 and 2019, the national orthotist/prosthetist workforce increased at a rate that exceeded Australia’s population growth, became younger, and more female. However, the number of practitioners per 100,000 population remains below international recommendations; particularly in states outside of Victoria and Tasmania, and in regional/remote areas. In addition, low numbers of mid-late career female practitioners suggest challenges to retention of this particular cohort. These data can help inform workforce initiatives to retain a younger and more female workforce, and improve access to orthotic/prosthetic services.