title: The attitude and perceptions of work-life balance: a comparison among women surgeons in Japan, USA, and Hong Kong China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of the present study was to explore how women surgeons manage their work-life balance in three environmental and cultural settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Members of the Japan Association of Women Surgeons (JAWS), the United States of America (US) based Association of Women Surgeons (AWS), and the Women's Chapter of the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong (WCHK) were surveyed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 822 women surgeons contacted, 252 responded (response rate 31.8 %; 55.5 % JAWS, 28.2 % AWS, and 25.3 % WCHK). Japanese women surgeons think that work is the number one priority, whereas US and Hong Kong China (HK) respondents think the number one priority is home life. Work satisfaction level was generally high among women surgeons in all countries; however, 19 % of US surgeons are somewhat dissatisfied with their work and 76.1 % think that men are treated more favorably than women at work. Whereas 51.6 % of Japanese women surgeons think that men are treated more favorably than women at home, at the same time they placed more importance on the role of women in the family. More than half of Japanese women surgeons are "uncertain" about their career path in the future, whereas 55.2/87.1 % of US/HK respondents are optimistic. All surgeons recommended expanding support for child rearing or nursing care during work hours, promoting a flexible work schedule and changing some of the older conventional ideas about gender role.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is essential to address women surgeons' concerns to enable them to have a clearer vision and a challenging career, and to be more certain about their personal and professional goals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8, Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan. kawasekazumi@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.forename: Ava
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kwong
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yorozuya
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomizawa
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Numann
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sanfey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013043:Specialties, Surgical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014937:Work