Attitudes toward the use of gender-inclusive language among residency trainees. The McMaster Residency Training Program Directors.
OBJECTIVE
To explore postgraduate medical trainees' attitudes toward the use of gender-inclusive language.


METHODS
Self-administered questionnaire.


METHODS
Seven residency training programs at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont., from July 1993 to June 1994.


METHODS
Of 225 residents in the programs, 186 responded to the survey, for a response rate of 82.7%. Men and women were equally represented among the respondents.


METHODS
Categorization of attitudes about the use of language as gender-inclusive or gender-exclusive; characteristics predicting a gender-inclusive attitude.


RESULTS
Factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha (0.90) supported the existence of a construct related to attitudes about language use, the poles of which were categorized as gender-inclusive and gender-exclusive. The authors classified residents with respect to their attitudes to language use from their responses to the questionnaire. In univariate analyses, sex, residency program and country of graduation significantly predicted a gender-inclusive attitude (p < 0.01). Only the first 2 variables were significant in a multivariate model; residency program explained 18% of the variance and sex 3%. Residents in obstetrics and gynecology and psychiatry had the most gender-inclusive attitudes, whereas residents in surgery and anesthesia had the most gender-exclusive attitudes.


CONCLUSIONS
Residents' values are reflected in the language they choose to use. Language use may provide an index of underlying attitudes that may create hostile environments for female trainees.
Guyatt
G H
GH
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.
Cook
D J
DJ
Griffith
L
L
Walter
S D
SD
Risdon
C
C
Liutkus
J
J
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007802:Language; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011287:Prejudice; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires