Gender representation amongst orthodontic editorial boards: trends over time

Abstract

Summary Objective To assess trends in gender representation within editorial boards of European and North American orthodontic journals from 2000 to 2023. Materials and methods Retrospective cross-sectional study of editorial boards of orthodontic journals. The first issue of volumes of identified journals from the years 2000, 2010 and 2023 were investigated to demonstrate trends over time. Results Eight journals were included. Across the period investigated, a total of 810 editorial board positions were identified with most positions held by men (657/810; 81.1%). The proportion of female editorial board members increased from 14.7% (36/245) in 2000 to 24.5% (73/298) in 2023. The number of female Editor-in-Chief increased from zero in 2000 to two in 2023. Three journals demonstrated a reduction in female representation from 2000 to 2023. Conclusion Females remain underrepresented within editorial boards of orthodontic journals which is a key metric of presence and leadership in orthodontic academia.