A Nationwide Survey on Working Hours and Working Environment among Hospital Dentists in Japan

Tomoko Kodama, Yusuke Ida and Hiroko Miura
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Tomoko Kodama: Department of International Health and Collaboration, National Institute of Public Health, Wako 351-0197, Japan
Yusuke Ida: Healthcare Executive Program, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Hiroko Miura: Division of Disease Control and Epidemiology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Hokkaido 061-0293, Japan

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-16

Abstract: Sustainable human resource is one of the main issues in healthcare delivery and the way hospital dentists work has a significant impact on oral and dental healthcare services. This study is the first large-scale nationwide survey aiming to investigate the working hours including the working environment among hospital dentists in Japan. A total of 2914 hospital dentists responded to self-administered questionnaires from general hospitals (GHs) and medical educational institutions (MEIs) across the country. Among full-time dentists, the younger generation (i.e., those in their 20s and 30s) of both male and female dentists working in GHs engage in over 40 h of in-hospital clinical practice per week, apart from their self-learning hours. In contrast, the middle-aged dentists (i.e., those in their 40s and 50s) at MEIs work for more than 50 h on average due to the added teaching and research responsibilities. In a multiple logistic regression model using “more than 60 h of work per week” as the dependent variable, higher ORs (Odds Ratios) were found in males (OR = 1.83, 95%CI 1.50–2.22), MEIs (OR = 1.92, 1.52–2.42), and individuals specializing in dental and oral surgery (OR = 1.85, 1.47–2.32). Task-shifting was requested by 22.6% of the respondents for preventive care and dental guidance. Only a few male dentists experienced taking a parental leave and the peak distribution of working hours was shorter for females working in GHs. The support for child-rearing in the work environment is still insufficient and a consensus on the involvement of male dentists in childcare is needed.

Keywords: sustainable workforce; hospital dentist; gender; working hours; work environment; task-shifting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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