Table 4 Junior researchers’ perception of barriers in subjective sub competencies for five disciplines

Health economics

5.8 ± 1.3

2.4 ± 1.3

3.4 ± 1.5

78

57

Statistical and econometric analysis

5.8 ± 1.3

2.0 ± 1.3

3.8 ± 1.7

84

48

Microeconomics of health care

5.7 ± 1.5

2.0 ± 1.3

3.6 ± 1.8

82

41

Health accounting

5.8 ± 1.5

2.3 ± 1.2

3.5 ± 1.7

75

55

Economic evaluation

5.9 ± 1.4

2.4 ± 1.5

3.4 ± 1.9

75

59

Health Financing functions

5.9 ± 1.3

2.6 ± 1.5

3.2 ± 1.6

75

66

Economics of health systems

6.1 ± 1.3

2.9 ± 1.7

3.2 ± 1.7

77

73

Provider payment mechanisms

5.7 ± 1.6

2.6 ± 1.6

3.0 ± 1.7

77

57

Health policy

6.0 ± 1.3

2.9 ± 1.5

3.1 ± 1.6

84

72

Monitoring and evaluation methods

5.9 ± 1.5

2.6 ± 1.6

3.3 ± 1.8

84

57

Health policy analysis frameworks

5.8 ± 1.5

2.5 ± 1.6

3.3 ± 1.9

84

64

Policy processes in health care

6.2 ± 1.3

3.1 ± 1.6

3.1 ± 1.7

82

77

Impact of policies on population

6.1 ± 1.3

3.0 ± 1.6

3.0 ± 1.7

84

82

Political influence on resource alloc.

5.9 ± 1.4

3.0 ± 1.6

3.0 ± 1.8

82

71

Organization, financing & health syst.

6.2 ± 1.3

3.3 ± 1.7

2.9 ± 1.7

86

82

Environmental health

6.2 ± 0.9

3.2 ± 1.6

3.0 ± 1.6

76

74

Environmental epidemiology

6.2 ± 1.0

2.9 ± 1.7

3.4 ± 1.7

82

64

Policies to mitigate env. hazards

6.3 ± 1.1

3.0 ± 1.7

3.3 ± 1.8

75

73

Interaction of environ. determinants

6.1 ± 1.1

2.9 ± 1.5

3.2 ± 1.8

80

75

Health & environ. risk assessment

6.3 ± 1.0

3.2 ± 1.7

3.1 ± 1.7

80

75

Factors modifying impact of env.

6.1 ± 1.1

3.1 ± 1.8

3.0 ± 1.8

75

71

Exposure assessment methods

6.1 ± 1.1

3.2 ± 1.9

2.9 ± 1.8

77

71

Sources, pathways, of exposure

6.3 ± 0.9

3.5 ± 1.9

2.8 ± 1.7

71

80

Major environ. & occup. hazards

6.4 ± 1.0

3.6 ± 1.9

2.7 ± 1.8

68

82

Medical anthrop & sociology

5.9 ± 1.2

3.0 ± 1.5

2.9 ± 1.6

75

63

Ethnographic methods

5.6 ± 1.5

2.4 ± 1.7

3.2 ± 1.8

77

34

Health seeking behavior

6.2 ± 1.1

3.2 ± 1.8

3.0 ± 1.8

77

71

Historical & political dimensions

5.9 ± 1.2

2.9 ± 1.8

3.0 ± 1.8

71

59

The clinic/hospital as social

5.6 ± 1.6

2.7 ± 1.6

2.9 ± 1.7

75

59

Role of culture in health

5.9 ± 1.3

3.1 ± 1.8

2.8 ± 1.9

77

66

Social inequalities in health

6.3 ± 1.1

3.7 ± 1.8

2.6 ± 1.9

73

84

Understanding popular health

5.8 ± 1.5

3.2 ± 1.7

2.6 ± 1.8

73

71

Epidemiology

6.3 ± 0.7

4.3 ± 1.4

2.0 ± 1.6

73

87

Mathematical modeling

6.0 ± 1.2

3.0 ± 1.5

3.0 ± 1.9

89

66

Disease surveillance

6.4 ± 0.8

4.0 ± 1.5

2.4 ± 1.6

82

86

Methods in epidemiology

6.6 ± 0.7

4.5 ± 1.8

2.1 ± 1.7

64

93

Subjective health measures

5.9 ± 1.1

3.8 ± 1.7

2.1 ± 1.7

73

84

Effect modification (confounding)

6.2 ± 1.0

4.2 ± 1.7

2.0 ± 1.9

77

82

Risk factors and susceptibility

6.5 ± 0.8

4.5 ± 1.7

2.0 ± 1.8

77

89

Validity and reliability

6.4 ± 0.8

4.4 ± 1.7

2.0 ± 1.9

71

89

Association and causation

6.4 ± 0.8

4.6 ± 1.8

1.9 ± 1.8

68

91

Statistical analysis of data

6.5 ± 0.8

4.7 ± 1.7

1.8 ± 1.8

71

96

Measures of morbidity & mortality

6.3 ± 1.0

4.8 ± 1.8

1.4 ± 1.8

61

96