Female Practitioners Research Articles

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.

Gender-related influences on adherence to advice and treatment-seeking guidance for infants and young children post-hospital discharge in Bangladesh

BackgroundPost-hospital discharge mortality risk is high among young children in many low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The available literature suggests that child, caregiver and health care provider gender all play important roles in post-discharge adherence to medical advice, treatment-seeking and recovery for ill children in LMICs, including those with undernutrition.MethodsA qualitative study was embedded within a larger multi-country multi-disciplinary observational cohort study involving children aged less than 2 years conducted by the Childhood Acute Illness and Nutrition (CHAIN) Network. Primary data were collected from family members of 22 purposively selected cohort children. Family members were interviewed several times in their homes over the 6 months following hospital discharge (total n = 78 visits to homes). These in-depth interviews were complemented by semi-structured individual interviews with 6 community representatives, 11 community health workers and 12 facility-based health workers, and three group discussions with a total of 24 community representatives. Data were analysed using NVivo11 software, using both narrative and thematic approaches.ResultsWe identified gender-related influences at health service/system and household/community levels. These influences interplayed to family members’ adherence to medical advice and treatment-seeking after hospital discharge, with potentially important implications for children’s recovery. Health service/system level influences included: fewer female medical practitioners in healthcare facilities, which influenced mothers’ interest and ability to consult them promptly for their child’s illnesses; gender-related challenges for community health workers in supporting mothers with counselling and advice; and male caregivers’ being largely absent from the paediatric wards where information sessions to support post-discharge care are offered. Gendered household/community level influences included: women’s role as primary caretakers for children and available levels of support; male family members having a dominant role in decision-making related to food and treatment-seeking behaviour; and greater reluctance among parents to invest money and time in the treatment of female children, as compared to male children.ConclusionsA complex web of gender related influences at health systems/services and household/community levels have important implications for young children’s recovery post-discharge. Immediate interventions with potential for positive impact include awareness-raising among all stakeholders – including male family members - on how gender influences child health and recovery, and how to reduce adverse consequences of gender-based discrimination. Specific interventions could include communication interventions in facilities and homes, and changes in routine practices such as who is present in facility interactions. To maximise and sustain the impact of immediate actions and interventions, the structural drivers of women’s position in society and gender inequity must also be tackled. This requires interventions to ensure equal equitable opportunities for men and women in all aspects of life, including access to education and income generation activities. Given patriarchal norms locally and globally, men will likely need special targeting and support in achieving these objectives.

The sisters of sport psychology: An examination of the professional black female experience

Historically, the experiences of female practitioners have been overlooked within applied sport psychology literature, and thus, the field continues to be male-dominated. Despite calls for more racially diverse literature and utilization of diverse methodologies within sport psychology, studies pertaining to the female experience draw heavily from a White/Caucasian female narrative, further perpetuating the historical invisibility of women of color within the sport context. Using feminist methodology to inform the research process, the current study explored the professional experiences of women of African descent within applied sport psychology through a Black feminist lens. The results of the study demonstrate the integral influence of race and gender on one’s professional experiences in applied sport psychology, adding greater depth to the extant literature. Emergent themes included the interplay of personal and professional identity, a sense of responsibility to others and a vigilance with White colleagues. Implications and recommendations are provided, as well as directions for future research including increased representation within the larger sport and performance psychology field, a call for greater cultural awareness and humility within practice and research, and greater recognition of service as part of professional practice.

Distribution of male and female procedural and surgical specialists in Australia.

Objective This study examined the distribution of the sexes across Australian medical procedural specialties in 2017 and investigated the proportion of currently registered female specialists based on their graduation date from 1969 to 2008. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of current Australian procedural and surgical specialists registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency as of January 2017 was undertaken. Participants included 4851 surgical specialists (594 female, 4257 male) and 14948 specialists in specialties with high levels of procedural clinical work (4418 female, 10530 male). The number of male and female specialists across each procedural specialty and the medical school graduation date of current female specialists were analysed. Results In 2017, female fellows represented only one in 10 surgeons and three in 10 procedural specialists. All surgical specialties are underrepresented by female specialists. Cardiology is least represented by female practitioners (one in 10), followed by intensive care and ophthalmology (two in 10). General surgery, otolaryngology and urology saw more female specialists with graduation dates between 1983 and 2003 compared with the other surgical specialties. Conclusion The number of female practitioners registered as specialists is increasing, but they continue to be underrepresented at specialist level across many procedural and surgical specialties. What is known about the topic? Although the number of female students entering medical school now outnumbers that of males, female practitioners remain underrepresented at the specialist level. What does this paper add? Surgery continues to be underrepresented by female specialists, but general surgery, otolaryngology and urology have shown increases in females reaching specialist level. All procedural specialties have shown increasing numbers of female practitioners reaching the specialist level. What are the implications for practitioners? All surgical specialties and nearly all procedural specialties need to adopt evidence-based practices to make their training programs both appealing and sustainable to female trainees in order to work towards achieving gender parity.

A review paper on women empowerment in professional and domestic life

Feminism has grown considerably as a transdisciplinary voice in support of change, as well as a discipline of science and philosophy, during the last 40 years. Advocacy and philosophy seem to have dominated the development of theory. Proposals are made to further feminist thinking. This book presents a feminist public relations theory, as well as an explanation and agenda for changing bias towards female public relations practitioners. This research emphasizes the importance of the social, historical, and political context from the viewpoint of women's empowerment theory as a cyclical rather than a linear process in components of women's empowerment. It proposes that empowerment-driven feminist social work practice be guided by an awareness of positionalities, conscientization, and social changes, integrating key concepts in feminist thought and empowerment theory. In this study, the key characteristics of women's equality in general and in the workplace are addressed. Feminist and empowerment philosophy has a lot in common with the development and identification of professional identity and social work in general. Individual and collective identity formation are both emphasized in social and gender inequality and prejudice. Empowerment is a big part of feminist social work's theory and practice, particularly when it comes to dominance and subordination.

A legelső fogorvosnők, a kezdet

Female professionals’ existence in dentistry is a result of ending slavery, emerging women's movements, progress towards a democratic state and wider dissemination of human rights. It was only at the end of the 19th century that women started their emancipation movement while leaving behind the narrow space of the household and equal to men populated the world of the business. However, it was a long way. Now we follow the life of the very first women in different countries demonstrating the problems they were facing: missing higher education, to be accepted by their patients and male family members. Since Western medicine claimed specific medical education to be a licensed practitioner, women found it much more difficult to enter the medical profession except midwifery. Nevertheless, we found in our research more among the first female dental practitioners who supported their husband, brother or father in their office. These women were brave and determined, tough, smart and hardworking, true heroes who faced all difficulties. They were active this way for a few hundred years, until the 1800s when the first graduated women dentists began practising. These women broke barriers in the world of dental care and demonstrated that dentistry was able to ensure bright smiles for their patients.

Intimate Connections: Marie Marguerite Biheron and Her "Little Boudoir".

This essay considers the pursuits and occupational trajectory of the Parisian anatomical modeler Marie Marguerite Biheron (1719-95), who was celebrated for her anatomical cabinet. It highlights the role of Biheron's circle of friends and supporters in nourishing her place in the anatomical world. I argue that a focus on social and affective relations, such as friendship, can enhance our understanding of the careers of female medical practitioners and medical artists like Biheron. Her case provides a useful vantage point to reconstruct how a woman, who could not rely on the support of her family nor, for most of her life, on royal patronage, could successfully engage in anatomical practice and become renowned. Casting light on early modern economies of care, Biheron's story also helps illuminate the broader significance of amicable and affective relations in the histories of medicine and natural inquiry.

Combined Intuition and Rationality Increases Software Feature Novelty for Female Software Designers

Overcoming society's complex problems requires novel solutions. Applying different cognitive styles can promote novelty when designing software aimed at these problems. Through an experiment with 80 software design practitioners, we found that female practitioners who had a preference for more than one cognitive style (intuition and rationality) produced the most novel software features of all participants.

Mening over orthodontie: een online enquête onder NTVT-lezers

By means of an online questionnaire, the opinions of dental health practitioners on 'orthodontics' were assessed on the basis of 10 statements. There were 523 responses, 51% of which were from general practitioners, a relatively large number from orthodontists (31%) and 18% from other dental health practitioners. Concerning indication of treatment, dental health prior to treatment and the value of straightened teeth, opinions were clearly positive, somewhat more among orthodontist than among general practitioners. Patients knowledge concerning orthodontics and the negative side of orthodontics and their trust in the durability of orthodontic retention are all considered to be more positively present in patients by orthodontists than general practitioners. 1 in 3 non-orthodontists considered carrying out orthodontic procedures in the general practice to be fine. More than 90% of orthodontists disagreed. Female dental practitioners more often consider orthodontic treatment to belong with an orthodontist. The number of women was equally divided across the different groups.

Is this what a female yogi looks like? A content analysis of yoga images on Instagram

As yoga continues to increase in global popularity, idealized representations of a thin, athletic ‘yoga body’ have also become more prominent across commercial media. To examine how yoga is typically represented on social media, a content analysis of the posts of female yoga practitioners on Instagram was undertaken. Images were sourced using hashtags #yoga, #yogabody, #yogapractice, and #yogawoman, and 200 females per hashtag were then coded on demographic factors, body shape, activity, objectification, and practice of yoga. Results showed that over 90 % of women in the images were coded as being under 40 years of age with the vast majority in their 20 s. Almost three-quarters of women were perceived to be white, 100 % appeared able bodied. More than 80 % were classed as thin and/or athletic, while less than 15 % displayed average levels of visible body fat. More than 50 % of yoga poses were advanced while a quarter displayed potentially unsafe alignment. The findings demonstrate that the typical ‘yoga body’ on Instagram was perceived to conform to the young, thin/athletic ideal and that overall yoga is not being represented as an inclusive physical practice that can be adapted for women of diverse ages, body types, and abilities.

Gender Inequality Among Hospital and University Practitioners in France in 2020: Where Have We Been and Where are We Now?

Backgrounds: Women are under-represented in senior academic and hospital positions in many countries. We aim to assess the place and the evolution of tenured female and male health practitioners’ working in French public Hospitals. Methods: Data of this observational study were collected from the National Management Centre (Centre National de Gestion) up to January 1, 2020. First, we describe demographic characteristics and specialties of all tenured medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry doctors’ working as Hospital Practitioners, Associate Professors, and Full Professors in French General and University-affiliated Hospitals in 2020. Then, we report the annual incidence of new entrance according to gender and professional status from 1999 to 2019. Findings: In 2020, 51 401 health practitioners (49·7% of female) are in activity in French public hospitals. Women represent 52·5% of the Hospital Practitioners, 48·6% of the Associate Professors, and 22·0% of the Full Professors. There are disparities between the rates of female Full Professors in medicine (20·6%), pharmacy (36·1%), and dentistry (44·3%). Women are nominated Hospital Practitioners earlier than men (37·1 versus 38·8 years), at a similar age among Associate Professors (36·1 versus 36·5 years), and at a later age among Full Professors (43·7 versus 41·9 years). Compared to men, the annual rates of appointed women varied 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. Interpretation: Although hospitals are becoming more and more feminised, there is still a gender gap to access the Full Professors status in medicine and pharmacy, but not in Dentistry. Despite a trend towards, gender equality has not yet been achieved regarding access to the highest positions. Funding Statement: None. Declaration of Interests: ALB, NA, CV, BH, FL, BL, MBM, AB, and JSA declare no competing interests.

Dental practitioners’ use of health risk assessments for a variety of health conditions: Results from the South Atlantic region of The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network

BackgroundAn important step in integrating dental and medical care is improving understanding of the frequency and characteristics of dental practitioners who conduct health risk assessments (HRAs). MethodsFrom September 2017 through July 2018, active dentist and hygienist members of the South Atlantic region of The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (N = 870) were invited to participate in a survey evaluating their HRA practices (screening, measuring, discussing, referring patients) for 6 health conditions (obesity, hypertension, sexual activities, diabetes, alcohol use, tobacco use). For each health condition, the authors used ordinal logistic regression to measure the associations among the practitioner’s HRA practices and the practitioner’s characteristics, barriers, and practice characteristics. ResultsMost of the 475 responding practitioners (≥ 72%) reported they at least occasionally complete 1 or more HRA steps for the health conditions except sexual activities. Most practitioners screened (that is, asked about) and gave referral information to affected patients for diabetes (56%) and hypertension (63%). Factors associated with each increased HRA practice for 2 or more outcomes were non-Hispanic white compared with Hispanic practitioner (cumulative odds ratio [COR] obesity, 0.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2 to 0.8; and COR diabetes, 0.3; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.8), male compared with female practitioner (COR tobacco, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2 to 0.7; and COR hypertension, 0.4; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.8), and practitioner discomfort (COR, obesity and alcohol use, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6 to 0.9; and COR, sexual activities 0.6; 95% CI 0.5 to 0.8). Conclusions and Practical ImplicationsDental practitioners are conducting HRA practices for multiple conditions. Interventions should focus on reducing practitioner discomfort and target non-Hispanic white, male practitioners.

On the Female Practitioners of China Museum from 1949 to 1966

On the Female Practitioners of China Museum from 1949 to 1966

Preliminary Practices: Bloody Knees, Calloused Palms, and the Transformative Nature of Women’s Labor

In this article, I explore the prostration accumulation portion of the Preliminary Practices of a specific group of Tibetan Buddhist women in Bongwa Mayma, a rural area of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province. I focus specifically on the nuns and lay women who utilize this set of teachings and practices. The Preliminary Practices not only initiate practitioners into a specific tradition (that of the Drikung Kagyu and more specifically the Amitabha practices of this lineage), but also more fundamentally into Vajrayāna Buddhism as it is practiced in contemporary Tibet. Although monks and male lay practitioners in this region also tend to perform the same Preliminary Practices, I focus specifically on women because of their unique relationship with bodily labor. I begin this article with a discussion of the domestic and economic labor practices of contemporary Tibetan women in rural Yushu, followed by an analysis of Preliminary Practices as understood through the Preliminary Practice text and oral commentaries utilized by all interviewees and interviews (collected from 2016–2020) with female practitioners about their motivations, experiences, and realizations during the Refuge and prostration accumulation portion of their Preliminary Practices. Women themselves view bodily labor as a productive and inevitable aspect of life. On the one hand, women state openly that their domestic duties impede upon their ability to achieve religious realization. On the other, they frequently extol the virtues of hard work, perseverance, patience, and fortitude that their lives of labor helped them to cultivate. Prostration is meant to embody the act of going for Refuge, of submitting oneself to the teachings of the Buddha, to the path of the dharma, and to the community of religious practitioners with whom they will study and grow. Prostrations are meant to embody the extreme difficulty of Refuge, to remove obscurations, to crush the ego, and to confirm a dedication to endure the hardships on the path to realization. Buddhist women, despite their ambiguous relationship with physical labor, see the physical pain of this process as a transformative experience that allows them a glimpse of the spaciousness of mind and freedom from attachment-filled desire promised in the teachings they receive.

Profissionais de Educação Infantil na Suécia: limites e possibilidades de compartilhamento de tarefas entre homens e mulheres

Este artigo tem como objetivo principal problematizar a divisão do trabalho pedagógico entre homens e mulheres que atuam em pré-escolas na Suécia. Nesse sentido, busca-se refletir sobre como as responsabilidades e tarefas são divididas a partir do gênero dos profissionais no cotidiano das pré-escolas. Dessa forma, utiliza-se como principal referencial teórico a categoria de “gênero”, a partir dos estudos de Judith Butler. Para tanto, parte-se de uma investigação mais ampla, realizada em duas instituições educacionais e cujo escopo da investigação se constituiu de nove profissionais, sendo sete mulheres e dois homens. Por meio da observação sistemática do cotidiano laboral desses profissionais, e apoiados nos estudos de gênero, os resultados apontaram que não há uma paridade no que diz respeito à na divisão de tarefas e práticas realizadas pelos profissionais investigados, visto que as mulheres trazem mais para si a responsabilidade de estabelecer normas e regras com as crianças.

Clinicians' Behavior Toward Radiology Reports: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundThe radiology report is the way of communication between the radiologists and the clinicians of different specialties. Each part of the report is important and significant in the patient management plan. Therefore, knowledge of interpretation and behavior in understanding the final report is a variable crucial skill.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional survey study to explore the behavior and attitude of clinicians toward radiology reports in relation to their professional clinical demographic. A total of 107 physicians participated, including consultants, specialists, and residents among different specialties.ResultsAmong the 107 responses, 58.9% were male and 41.1% were female. The majority of the physicians (78.5%) read the radiology report for every requested study for each patient, while 21.5% of participants didn’t read the radiology report for the studies they requested, instead, they only read it occasionally. Gender played a significant factor, as female practitioners were more likely to read the complete radiology report (P = 0.033). In addition, the age of the practitioner was also significant as clinicians in the age group 40-60 years old were more likely to check the requested radiology image prior to reading the report compared to age groups 20-39 and >60 years (P = 0.035). Lastly, specialists were significantly more likely to read the entire radiology report compared to consultants and residents (P = 0.006).ConclusionMore emphasis and awareness should be provided to clinicians on the importance of reading the entire radiology report as some information can be missed if not being read completely.

Female Health Practitioners Disciplined for Sexual Misconduct

Within a broader study of Australian tribunal determinations concerning sexual misconduct by the five major health professions (2010–17) it became apparent that a sizable minority of disciplinary cases were brought against female practitioners for engaging in sexual relationships with patients. This article examines cases involving female doctors, psychologists, and nurses to explore their distinctly gendered aspects. There were differences apparent between cases involving female and male practitioners, in terms of vulnerability of patients and degree of exploitation, which go some way to explaining an overall trend of less severe outcomes for female respondents in cases at the tribunal level. However, there were also issues that were entirely distinct in the female cases, being the occurrence of: incarcerated patients; patient suicide; and same-sex relationships. I suggest that the first two of these issues would generally be regarded as severely aggravating (but were not always assessed as such), while the complexity of the third in terms of the broader social context may not have been well understood. The distinctive features of female cases suggest that there may need to be a rethinking in order to target ethical guidance and training on sexual misconduct in a gender-specific way.

Pelvic floor dysfunctions and associated factors in female CrossFit practitioners: a cross-sectional study.

It is known that high-impact exercises can cause an increase in intra-abdominal pressure and provide overload in the pelvic floor structures. We hypothesized that female CrossFit practitioners would report symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) and that there will be factors associated with these dysfunctions. The study design is an online cross-sectional survey. Demographic and anthropometric data, the characterization of CrossFit activity, the description of PFD and previous obstetric history were collected through a structured web-based questionnaire. Associations between PFD and the clinical and CrossFit-related independent variables were tested using logistic regression analysis. A total of 828 female CrossFit practitioners answered the questionnaire. The most prevalent symptom was anal incontinence (AI) (52.7%), with flatus incontinence (FI) being the most reported (93.3%). Women who reported constipation are 1.7 times more likely to have FI, and women who practice CrossFit more than five times a week are 3.0 times more likely to have FI. Urinary incontinence(UI) affected 36% of women, and 84.2% of participants reported urinary loss during CrossFit practice. The occurrence of dyspareunia was reported by 48.7% and showed an inverse association with age and body mass index. POP was reported by only 1.4% of the sample. There is a high prevalence of PFD in female CrossFit practitioners, with AI being the most reported symptom, especially FI. In addition, constipation and weekly training frequency were significantly associated with FI. UI occurred primarily in CrossFit exercises, and dyspareunia was the most prevalent sexual symptom.

The Level of Aggressiveness During Karate Practice of Inmates in Correctional Settings.

Karate is known to enhance cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, and self-regulation and to contribute to an overall behavior rehabilitation process. However, few data are available on the impact of practicing karate in adult prison inmates. The main objective of this research was to evaluate aggressive behavior, comparing prison inmates and club practitioners during karate practice. The level of aggressiveness was rated by observers during defined elements and training situations in karate classes held in France. Data were collected during 77 observations of 75 prison inmates (55 male and 20 female) in a prison setting, and 188 observations of 117 club practitioners (80 male and 37 female) in a club setting over a period of 26 months. Licit aggressiveness was graded by observers during launched actions, kiais, and bows, and the practice level (belts) was also considered. Interrater reliability of the observational measure was highly acceptable (Cohen κ = 1). Comparisons between female and male prison inmates and club practitioners were made using the non-parametric Mann–Whitney U-test for independent samples. The results revealed that a higher level of aggressiveness was observed in both male and female club practitioners during launched actions and kiais than in prison inmate practitioners (p < 0.001, small effect size). However, prison inmates (of both genders) showed a higher level of aggressiveness during bows (p < 0.001, medium effect size). While the analyses showed no significant differences between genders, the level of karate practice was associated with distinct changes. Significant differences in observed aggressiveness were present only in beginners and in those with a low level of karate practice, whereas no differences in aggressiveness between prison or club practitioners were observed during karate practice in those with a high level of karate practice (black belt). However, these results must be interpreted with caution as there was no way to control the multiple factors that might also affect inmate behaviors in a correctional setting. We suggest that karate practice in prison may positively contribute to interactional behaviors.