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Attire and appearance of pediatrician play an
important role in the development of faith and respect in children
and parents. Children might regard formally dressed doctors as
competent and casually dressed doctors as incompetent(1).
Recently, in an Indian study, Raichur et al.(2) studied the
parents’ and guardians’ opinion regarding pediatricians’
appearance. We conducted a study to assess the children’s and
pediatricians’ preference regarding pediatrician’s
professional appearance.
One hundred children (age 8-15 years) brought
to pediatric out patient department, PSG Hospitals, Coimbatore,
during October and November 2001, were interviewed using a
questionnaire containing 19 questions (Table I). First
three questions were applicable to both male and female
pediatricians whereas the next 6 questions were about the
appearance of male pediatrician and the last 9 questions were
about female pediatricians. Concurrently, the same questionnaire
was sent to 50 pediatricians practising in Coimbatore city, to
determine their actual habits and preferences.
Table I__The Questionnaire and Responses on Professional Appearance of Pediatrician
|
Question
Applicable for both male and female
|
Children's Response
|
Pediatrician's Opinion
|
|
Yes
(n=100) |
no |
no
responses |
Yes (n=50)
|
no
|
no
responses
|
1. Do you prefer a white coat on the pediatrician?
|
87
|
13
|
–
|
18
|
31
|
1
|
2. Do you think a name plate on the pediatrician
|
preferable?
|
|
77
|
23
|
33
|
16
|
1
|
|
3. Is it acceptable if the pediatrican uses perfume?
|
49
|
51
|
–
|
18
|
31
|
1
|
|
Regarding the male pediatrican:
|
(n=100)
|
|
|
(n=26)
|
|
|
4. Do you think a pediatrician can have a beard?
|
33
|
65
|
02
|
05
|
20
|
1
|
5. Should the pediatrician preferably wear shoes
|
47
|
53
|
–
|
20
|
05
|
–
|
rather than chappal?
|
|
6. Is it preferable if the pediatrician wears a neck tie?
|
50
|
48
|
02
|
06
|
17
|
3
|
7. Do you think pediatrician can wear T Shirt in the
|
46
|
51
|
03
|
10
|
15
|
1
|
hospital?
|
|
|
8. Is it acceptable if the pediatrician wears jeans in
|
44
|
55
|
01
|
10
|
15
|
1
|
the hospital?
|
|
9. Do you think male pediatrician can wear jewels?
|
58
|
41
|
01
|
06
|
17
|
3
|
|
Regarding the female pediatrician:
|
(n=100)
|
|
|
(n-24)
|
|
|
10. Is saree the best dress for pediatrician?
|
73
|
25
|
02
|
17
|
07
|
–
|
11. Do you think pediatrician can wear churidar in
|
79
|
20
|
01
|
19
|
05
|
–
|
the hospital?
|
|
12. Do you think the pediatricians’ hair should be
|
18
|
80
|
02
|
13
|
03
|
8
|
tied up?
|
|
13. Can pediatrician wear flowers in the hospital?
|
55
|
45
|
–
|
05
|
19
|
–
|
14. Do you think pediatrician can have short hair?
|
64
|
35
|
01
|
18
|
03
|
3
|
15. Do you think pediatrician can use lipstick in
|
18
|
82
|
–
|
09
|
15
|
–
|
the hospital?
|
|
16. Can pediatrician wear extra jewels in the
|
30
|
70
|
–
|
01
|
23
|
–
|
hospital?
|
|
17. Do you think pediatrician can wear anklet in
|
66
|
33
|
01
|
05
|
19
|
–
|
the hospital?
|
|
18. Can pediatrician use nail polish in the hospital?
|
58
|
42
|
–
|
11
|
12
|
1
|
19. Can pediatrician wear silk saree in the hospital?
|
43
|
57
|
–
|
08
|
15
|
1
|
Of the hundred children interviewed, 52 were
males and 48 females; 62 children were from rural areas and 38
children were from urban areas. Younger children (aged between 8
and 11 years) were 52 in number and older children (aged between
12 and 15 years) were 48 in number. Of the pediatricians, 26 were
male and 24 were female. Twenty three pediatricians were below 35
years of age and 27 pediatricians were above 35 years. Responses
of children and pediatricians are summarized in Table I.
Physician’s appearance has been a topic of interest to
medical historians. In a study by Barrett and Booth(1), majority
of children and parents rated doctor’s dress as very important
and children regarded formally dressed doctors as competent and
casually dressed doctors as incompetent. Marino et al.(3)
reported that parents had strong positive preference for formally
dressed pediatrician and children felt negatively about informal
attire. McCarthy et al.(4) had shown that majority of
children preferred physicians in white coat. Gierdingen et al(5)
found that positive responses from patients and physicians were
associated with traditional items of dress and negative responses
were associated with casual items of dress. Our study has shown
that children and pediatricians prefer the pediatrician to be
traditional in appearance. Majority of children prefer white coat,
name plate, neck tie, saree, whereas they do not approve of beard,
jeans and T Shirt for male doctors and lipstick, extra jewels, and
silk sarees for female pediatricians. Pediatricians prefer name
plate, shoes, saree, where as they do not approve white coat,
beard, jeans, T Shirt, lipstick, flowers, extra jewels and silk
sarees for themselves.
A.M. Vijayalakshmi,
M.
Thinker Vel,
P.S.G. Institute of Medical Sciences and
Research,
Coimbatore 641 004, Tamil Nadu, India.
E-mail: [email protected]
1. Barrett TG, Booth IW. Sartorial eloquence:
Does it exist in the pediatrician - parent relationship? Br Med
J 1994; 309: 1710-1712.
2. Raichur DV, Deshpande RV, Chandragouda DK,
Savitha D. Attire and appearance of pediatrician: Parents’/Guardians’
opinion. Indian J Pediatr 2001; 68: 413-416.
3. Marino RV, Rosefeld W, Narula P, Karkurum
M. Impact of pediatricians attire on children and parents. J Dev
Behav Pediatr 1991; 12: 98-101.
4. McCarthy JJ, McCarthy MC, Eilert RE.
Children’s and parents’ visual perception of physicians.
Clin Pediatr 1999; 38: 145-152.
5. Gjerdingen DK, Simpson DE, Titus SL. Patients’ and
physicians’ attitudes regarding the physician’s professional
appearance. Arch Intern Med 1987; 47: 1209-1212.
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