[Toba National College of Maritime Technology] Research paper co-authored by Associate Professor Kayo Fukami published in international journal

This illustration shows the gender gap in the daily time allocation of physicians. The stacked bar graphs on the left and right show the gender-based time allocation for work, leisure, self-improvement, and housework/childcare on weekdays and holidays (totaling 24 hours). Female physicians spent more time on unpaid care work, such as housework and childcare, compared to male physicians. On the other hand, they tended to spend less time on leisure and self-improvement. This gap widens on holidays, suggesting that when considering physician career development and quality of life, it is necessary to pay attention to time allocation, including the division of roles within the home. (Illustration provided by Kyoto University)

A research paper co-authored by Associate Professor Kayo Fukami of Toba National College of Maritime Technology (Toba City, Mie Prefecture; President: Haruo Mimura) was published online in the international academic journal 'BMC Health Services Research' on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

Overview of the Paper
As work-style reform and talent retention become critical issues for physicians, the relationship between the burden of unpaid care work (such as housework and childcare) and physicians' work styles and careers has not been sufficiently examined. By analyzing data from 2,540 physicians who met the criteria, the study found that even after adjusting for age, family structure, and medical specialty, female physicians spent more time on unpaid care work and less time on paid labor and self-improvement compared to male physicians. Furthermore, even after accounting for age, marital status, age of the youngest child, medical specialty, and weekday working hours, the proportion of female physicians earning an annual income of 15 million yen or more was lower than that of male physicians.

This study suggests that the imbalance in unpaid care work is associated with gender gaps in physician work styles and income. These findings imply the need to consider work systems and support measures that reduce gender-based role imbalances and allow for fairer working conditions regardless of gender, taking into account both work environments and family situations.

Associate Professor Fukami specializes in physician working environments and gender, and contributed to the discussion on gender differences in time usage in this paper.

Researcher's Comment
In recent years, work-style reform has been advancing across a wide range of industries. One of its goals is to mitigate gender gaps in paid and unpaid labor through an emphasis on work-life balance. However, the results of this study suggest that simply reducing working hours may not narrow the gap and could potentially widen it. A multifaceted approach is essential to resolve these disparities. (Kayo Fukami)