Birth Trends among Female Physicians in Taiwan: A Nationwide Survey from 1996 to 2013

Yi-Jen Wang, Shu-Chiung Chiang, Tzeng-Ji Chen, Li-Fang Chou, Shinn-Jang Hwang and Jui-Yao Liu
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Yi-Jen Wang: Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Shu-Chiung Chiang: Institute of Hospital and Health Care Administration, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Tzeng-Ji Chen: Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Li-Fang Chou: Department of Public Finance, National Chengchi University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
Shinn-Jang Hwang: Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Jui-Yao Liu: Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Taipei 112, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-8

Abstract: Background : Although more and more women are becoming physicians, their decisions regarding pregnancy may be affected by the lengthy period of medical education and postgraduate training. The aim of this study was to explore the birth trends among female physicians in Taiwan; Methods: Retrospective analyses of maternal ages at delivery from 1996 to 2013, both for physicians and the general population, were conducted using a nationwide dataset called National Health Insurance Research Database; Results : During the study period, 8540 female physicians were identified. The physicians delivered a total of 4940 births in that time, with a rise from 210 in 1996 to 440 in 2013. In addition, the mean maternal age of the physicians at delivery increased from 32.19 years (standard deviations (SD) 2.80) in 1996 to 33.61 (SD 3.21) in 2013, values significantly higher than those for non-physicians of 27.81 (SD 4.74) in 1996 ( p < 0.001) and 31.36 (SD 4.78) in 2013 ( p < 0.001); Conclusion : Female physicians usually gave birth at an older age than non-physicians, but the discrepancy between the two groups gradually declined over the 18-year course of the study. The establishment of a maternity-friendly environment for female physicians should be considered by those who determine healthcare system policies.

Keywords: birth trend; delayed childbearing; maternal age; reproductive behavior; female physicians (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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