title: 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-center prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic medical center, from October to November 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang Kyun
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jeong Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: In-Kyung
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Hyung-Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Choon-Jo
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Won Hyeok
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.forename: So Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Chang Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyoo Wan
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010822:Physicians, Women; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires