Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) associated with an underlying connective tissue disease (CTD), also known as a systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease or SARD, are chronic conditions with a tendency to progress. CTD-ILDs are increasingly diagnosed and pose an important global health challenge. This systematic review aims to provide an overarching evaluation of their epidemiology and disease burden in Asia. In this review, the term CTD-ILD will be used to denote all major forms of ILD arising in the context of a SARD.

This systematic review will adhere to the standards of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, including a flow diagram to depict the process by four independent reviewers that will assess titles and abstracts against the following predetermined criteria. A systematic review of the literature search published from 2000 to 2024 will be conducted using five electronic databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. Publications that meet the inclusion criteria of this review will be subjected to a full-text review to extract relevant data. Collated data will be analysed and organised into categories based on the expected outcome and objectives. The quality of published evidence, including heterogeneity across studies, will be checked against PRISMA checklists and assessed by Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Ethics approval is not applicable for this study since no original data will be collected. The findings of this review will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication in a scientific journal and conference communications, with the aim of contributing insights to the field by identifying research gaps and informing clinical practice.

The protocol of this systematic review is registered with the National Medical & Research Register (ID-24–03600-GUB) and International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews PROSPERO (CRD420251037095).

The aims of this study were to investigate the factors affecting career satisfaction within the Pakistani dental community and to assess demographic characteristics as significant predictors of professional satisfaction.

Cross-sectional survey.

Data were collected from registered dentists across urban and rural areas of Pakistan via an electronic survey distributed through professional forums, social media groups and email lists to ensure nationwide representation.

A total of 600 registered dental surgeons were selected across Pakistan using single-stage cluster sampling, with inclusion based on a permanent Pakistan Medical and Dental Council licence, excluding temporary licence holders, non-consenting individuals and those practising abroad.

Career satisfaction was measured using the validated Dentist Satisfaction Survey, which assessed various factors affecting professional fulfilment.

Of 600 participants, 566 valid responses were received, with n=134 (23.67%) men and n=432 (76.33%) women, and a mean age of 33.7±7.4 years. Most were early-career (68.9%), with a mean professional satisfaction score of 3.13±1.35. Gender, provincial background and work experience significantly influenced satisfaction, while current working status did not. Participants were neutral on career domains, such as auxiliary staff quality, professional relations, professional time, management and work-life balance, but had positive views on doctor-patient relationships. Many expressed dissatisfaction with their income, and 35.69% found dentistry stressful. While 26.15% would not recommend dentistry, 30.04% would support their child’s choice to pursue it. Despite uncertainty about career fulfilment, most dentists remained strongly committed to their profession and did not plan to change careers in the near future.

This study highlights factors influencing career satisfaction among Pakistani dentists, offering insights to improve well-being and career fulfilment and inform policy reforms aimed at enhancing professional retention and mental well-being.