Healthcare workers’ perception of gender and work roles during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods study
Objectives A high functioning healthcare workforce is a key priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to determine how work and mental health for healthcare workers changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in a universal healthcare system, stratified by gender factors.Design A mixed-methods study...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2021-12-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e056434.full |
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| author | Henry Thomas Stelfox Colleen Norris Jeanna Parsons Leigh Sofia B Ahmed Ian D Graham Harlan Pruden Valeria Raparelli Ranjani Somayaji Louise Pilote Doreen Rabi Kirsten Fiest Patricia Harasym Shannon M Ruzycki Jayna M Holroyd-Leduc Bria Scriven Mele Sandra M Dumanski Kara Nerenberg |
| author_facet | Henry Thomas Stelfox Colleen Norris Jeanna Parsons Leigh Sofia B Ahmed Ian D Graham Harlan Pruden Valeria Raparelli Ranjani Somayaji Louise Pilote Doreen Rabi Kirsten Fiest Patricia Harasym Shannon M Ruzycki Jayna M Holroyd-Leduc Bria Scriven Mele Sandra M Dumanski Kara Nerenberg |
| author_sort | Henry Thomas Stelfox |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives A high functioning healthcare workforce is a key priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to determine how work and mental health for healthcare workers changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in a universal healthcare system, stratified by gender factors.Design A mixed-methods study was employed. Phase 1 was an anonymous, internet-based survey (7 May–15 July 2020). Phase 2 was semistructured interviews offered to all respondents upon survey completion to describe how experiences may have differed by gender identity, roles and relations.Setting National universal healthcare system (Canada).Participants 2058 Canadian healthcare worker survey respondents (87% women, 11% men, 1% transgender or Two-Spirit), including 783 health professionals, 673 allied health professionals, 557 health support staff. Of the 63 unique healthcare worker types reported, registered nurses (11.5%), physicians (9.9%) and pharmacists (4.5%) were most common. Forty-six healthcare workers were interviewed.Main outcome measures Reported pandemic-induced changes to occupational leadership roles and responsibilities, household and caregiving responsibilities, and anxiety levels by gender identity.Results Men (19.8%) were more likely to hold pandemic leadership roles compared with women (13.4%). Women (57.5%) were more likely to report increased domestic responsibilities than men (45%). Women and those with dependents under the age of 10 years reported the greatest levels of anxiety during the pandemic. Interviews with healthcare workers further revealed a perceived imbalance in leadership opportunities based on gender identity, a lack of workplace supports disproportionately affecting women and an increase in domestic responsibilities influenced by gender roles.Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic response has important gendered effects on the healthcare workforce. Healthcare workers are central to effective pandemic control, highlighting an urgent need for a gender-transformative pandemic response strategy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-814fa63832b842d6b5b016008dca9e5c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-814fa63832b842d6b5b016008dca9e5c2024-12-08T08:30:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552021-12-01111210.1136/bmjopen-2021-056434Healthcare workers’ perception of gender and work roles during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods studyHenry Thomas Stelfox0Colleen Norris1Jeanna Parsons Leigh2Sofia B Ahmed3Ian D Graham4Harlan Pruden5Valeria Raparelli6Ranjani Somayaji7Louise Pilote8Doreen Rabi9Kirsten Fiest10Patricia Harasym11Shannon M Ruzycki12Jayna M Holroyd-Leduc13Bria Scriven Mele14Sandra M Dumanski15Kara Nerenberg163 Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaFaculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada1 Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada1 Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaClinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaFaculty of Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada3 Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada18 Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada1 Critical Care Medicine, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaDepartment of Medicine, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaLibin Cardiovascular Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaMedicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaObjectives A high functioning healthcare workforce is a key priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to determine how work and mental health for healthcare workers changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in a universal healthcare system, stratified by gender factors.Design A mixed-methods study was employed. Phase 1 was an anonymous, internet-based survey (7 May–15 July 2020). Phase 2 was semistructured interviews offered to all respondents upon survey completion to describe how experiences may have differed by gender identity, roles and relations.Setting National universal healthcare system (Canada).Participants 2058 Canadian healthcare worker survey respondents (87% women, 11% men, 1% transgender or Two-Spirit), including 783 health professionals, 673 allied health professionals, 557 health support staff. Of the 63 unique healthcare worker types reported, registered nurses (11.5%), physicians (9.9%) and pharmacists (4.5%) were most common. Forty-six healthcare workers were interviewed.Main outcome measures Reported pandemic-induced changes to occupational leadership roles and responsibilities, household and caregiving responsibilities, and anxiety levels by gender identity.Results Men (19.8%) were more likely to hold pandemic leadership roles compared with women (13.4%). Women (57.5%) were more likely to report increased domestic responsibilities than men (45%). Women and those with dependents under the age of 10 years reported the greatest levels of anxiety during the pandemic. Interviews with healthcare workers further revealed a perceived imbalance in leadership opportunities based on gender identity, a lack of workplace supports disproportionately affecting women and an increase in domestic responsibilities influenced by gender roles.Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic response has important gendered effects on the healthcare workforce. Healthcare workers are central to effective pandemic control, highlighting an urgent need for a gender-transformative pandemic response strategy.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e056434.full |
| spellingShingle | Henry Thomas Stelfox Colleen Norris Jeanna Parsons Leigh Sofia B Ahmed Ian D Graham Harlan Pruden Valeria Raparelli Ranjani Somayaji Louise Pilote Doreen Rabi Kirsten Fiest Patricia Harasym Shannon M Ruzycki Jayna M Holroyd-Leduc Bria Scriven Mele Sandra M Dumanski Kara Nerenberg Healthcare workers’ perception of gender and work roles during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods study BMJ Open |
| title | Healthcare workers’ perception of gender and work roles during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods study |
| title_full | Healthcare workers’ perception of gender and work roles during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods study |
| title_fullStr | Healthcare workers’ perception of gender and work roles during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Healthcare workers’ perception of gender and work roles during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods study |
| title_short | Healthcare workers’ perception of gender and work roles during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods study |
| title_sort | healthcare workers perception of gender and work roles during the covid 19 pandemic a mixed methods study |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e056434.full |
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