A96 GENDER DIFFERENCES IN GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY AUTHORSHIP AND EDITORIAL BOARDS

Abstract

Abstract Background Women are numerically under-represented in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology. Aims To characterize the gender distribution of first and senior authors and editorial board members of the highest impact factor journals in gastroenterology and hepatology. Methods Using Clarivate Journal Citation Report 2019, the 28 highest ranked journals within gastroenterology and hepatology were selected for review, along with the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology. Publications between January 1 to December 31, 2019 were included. Gender of board members and authors was identified using publicly available data. Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated using SPSS to assess for a relationship between editorial board, first author, and senior author gender as well as impact factor. Results Of 29 journals assessed with a median impact factor of 5.55 (IQR 3.72–9.10), 357 journal issues and 8036 articles were reviewed. Three journals were headed by female chief editors, constituting 7.7% of all editors-in-chief (3/39). In total, females made up 17.1% of editorial board members (n=584). Of 8036 first authors, 2547 (31.7%) were female. Of 7335 senior authors, 1390 (19.3%) were female. There were no statistically significant correlations between impact factor and gender. Chief editor gender did not significantly correlate with gender distribution of editorial boards, first or senior authors. There was a significant positive correlation between male-dominated editorial boards and male first and senior authorship, versus a significant negative correlation between male-dominated editorial boards and female first and senior authorship. A positive correlation exists for the same gender between first and senior authors. Conclusions Although gender distribution of female first and senior authorship approaches current distributions in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology, editor-in-chief positions and editorial board membership on journals continue to be occupied by men in higher proportions. Future endeavors such as diversity statements and mentorship may help to balance these distributions in the future. Funding Agencies None