Link between a preference for women colonoscopists and social status in Korean women

Abstract

Background: Although the sex preference in women patients for their colonoscopist has been reported, the characteristics of these women have not been evaluated yet.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of women who have a specific preference for a man or a woman colonoscopist.

Design: Single-center prospective study.

Setting: Academic medical center, from October to November 2005.

Subjects: A total of 465 women who visited the Digestive Disease Center.

Methods: Subjects were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire on the sex preference of the colonoscopist, employment status, and clinical symptoms.

Main outcome measurements: Factors related with sex preference for the colonoscopist.

Results: Only 358 subjects (77.0%) completed the questionnaire. Of these, 195 women (54.5%) had no preference, whereas 115 women (32.1%) preferred a woman colonoscopist and 48 women (13.4%) preferred a man colonoscopist. Subjects who preferred women colonoscopists were generally younger (P< .0001), more educated (P< .0001), single (P< .0001), and employed (P< .0001) than the other population. Neither the symptoms of functional dyspepsia nor irritable bowel syndrome were related with the sex preference of the colonoscopist.

Limitations: A self-administered questionnaire study did not investigate specific physician interpersonal or communication styles.

Conclusions: More than half of the women had no sex preference for their colonoscopist, and the sex preference for a specific sex was related to employment status, education level, age, and marital status. Such a sex-based preference in employed, highly educated young women predicts an increasing demand for women colonoscopists in the near future, particularly given the increasing social participation of women in these times of rapid industrialization.