Objective To analyze the current status and regional disparities in the setup of midwifery major in higher vocational and specialized education in China. Methods Colleges and universities setting higher vocational and specialized midwifery majors in 2023 were selected,and information on their majors and colleges and universities was extracted. Additionally,data on geographical areas,the number of permanent residents,the number of births,and the number of regular institutions of higher learning across provinces in 2023 were collected. Descriptive analysis was employed to assess the basic situation of midwifery major in higher vocational and specialized education in China. The current status of midwifery majors in different regions was also analyzed. The Lorenz curve,Gini coefficient,and Theil index were utilized to investigate the regional disparities in the distribution of institutions setting higher vocational and specialized midwifery majors. Results In 2023,there were 282 colleges and universities setting higher vocational and specialized midwifery majors,of which 280(99.3%) provided a three-year program. Two hundred(70.9%) colleges and universities were public institutions,and 259 (91.8%) were higher vocational and specialized colleges. Ninety-three(33.0%) of them were public comprehensive higher vocational and specialized colleges. In 2023,the number of colleges and universities setting midwifery majors per 10 million permanent residents,per 100 000 births,and per 100 000 square kilometers was 2.00,3.13,and 2.93,respectively. The Gini coefficients for the distribution of midwifery majors in higher vocational and specialized education across geographical areas,permanent resident populations,and birth populations were 0.618,0.212,and 0.230,respectively,with total Theil indices of 0.319,0.042,and 0.041. Conclusion The dominant academic program for higher vocational and specialized midwifery is the three-year program,with diverse types of colleges and universities involved. The distribution is highly uneven in terms of geographical area,and the disparities primarily stem from within regions. To enhance the overall academic qualifications of practitioners,it is necessary to actively promote the integration of vocational and general undergraduate education. Moreover,scientific adjustments and optimizations to the professional layout can be achieved by promptly including higher vocational and specialized midwifery majors in nationally controlled vocational majors,establishing and implementing early warning and dynamic adjustment mechanisms for majors.
