Demographic and professional profile of Brazilian women in vascular surgery: final results

BACKGROUND: Gender diversity in health teams is associated with better productivity. As women’s participation in surgery has been growing, it is important to improve knowledge about the elements that guide their professional development. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to outline the demographic and professional features of female vascular surgeons in Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed, in which a questionnaire was made available online for 60 days. Invitations to participate were distributed by institutional e-mail sent from the Brazilian Society of Angiology and Vascular Surgery (SBACV) to associate women surgeons. Results are presented as numbers and percentages. Odds ratios and chi-square tests were used for analysis. RESULTS: From a total of 810 invitations sent out, 281 questionnaires were completed. The most prevalent age groups were 25-35 years (n = 115) and 36-45 years (n = 114). Among those who worked exclusively in the private sector, 79.8% had at least one board certification (OR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.65-0.89; p = 0.001). Regarding workload distribution, 64.4% and 34.2% reported that they spend more time in the clinic and hospital, respectively. Respondents with more years of experience reported a predominance of office practice (p = 0.002). Although 67.3% (n = 189) had published scientific papers, 68% (n = 191) had never held leadership roles. CONCLUSIONS: The study respondents consisted of highly qualified women surgeons with respect to training, certification, and scientific engagement, but they remain underrepresented in professional management positions. Surgical societies and health institutions should act to promote inclusive and diverse leadership.