Exploring gender differences in professional well-being among U.S. optometrists

Area of Science:

• Optometry
• Occupational Health
• Gender Studies

Background:

• The optometry profession is experiencing a demographic shift towards a female majority.
• Understanding gender-based disparities in professional well-being is essential for workforce support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gender differences in job satisfaction, stress, and burnout among optometrists.
• To identify factors contributing to these differences using the Mini-Z survey.

Main Methods:

• A modified Mini-Z survey was distributed to 1424 optometrists.
• Data were analyzed using chi-squared tests, t-tests, and logistic regression.
• Responses were dichotomized to compare least desirable outcomes between genders.

Main Results:

• Female optometrists reported significantly higher job stress, burnout, and workload control issues.
• Females spent more time on electronic health records at home and experienced value misalignment.
• Female respondents were less likely to be White, married, have children, or earn over $200,000 annually.

Conclusions:

• Female optometrists exhibit poorer professional well-being compared to males, even after adjusting for demographics.
• These disparities underscore the need for interventions to support female optometrists.
• The findings are critical given the increasing feminization of the optometry workforce.