Should Paediatricians wear the White Ward Coat? A Survey among Nigerian Paediatricians

Background: The white ward coat which is regarded a traditional symbol of the medical profession, has recently being questioned concerning its usefulness in clinical practice. This is because the ward coat has the potential to transmit infections, as well as cause a transient elevation in blood pressure amongst adults and anxiety in children. However, most studies on the usefulness of the white ward coat in clinical practice have focused on mainly on patients’ opinion on how they want doctors to appear. There is a paucity of studies in medical literature that looks at the opinion of physicians concerning their apparels especially paediatricians. This study set out to determine which apparel Nigerian Paediatricians prefer to wear to work and the reasons behind their decision. Materials and Method: This was a cross sectional study conducted among Nigerian paediatricians who attended the 55th Annual General and Scientific Conference of the Paediatric association of Nigeria that held at Lagos state, Nigeria from January 17th-19th 2024. Participants filled a well-structured self-administered questionnaire. Results: Majority of the respondents 107 (54%) are consultants while registrars and medical officers had the least number 4 (2%) each. Most respondents practiced in government facilities 175 (88.4%) and at tertiary healthcare levels 167(84.3%). The generally preferred attire was scrubs 110 (55.6%), followed by formal wear (23.7%), white ward coats 27 (13.6%), and casual attire 14 (7.1%). There were no statistically significant associations between attire preference and demographic factors, including age, gender, years of practice, facility type, and cadre (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study shows that majority of Nigerian Paediatricians generally prefer to wear scrubs at work and especially when they work in the emergency paediatric room settings.