An analysis of women’s authorship in five leading anesthesiology journals

Over the last decade, there has been an increasing interest in gender equity. The present study explored the gender gap in five leading anesthesiology journals worldwide, covering the period from 1980 to 2020.

We included all articles published in Anaesthesia, the British Journal of Anaesthesia, Anesthesiology, Anesthesia & Analgesia, and the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia in the years 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020, analyzing trends in women’s authorship. We explored its association with variables including study type, subspecialty, continent of the corresponding author, number of authors, and gender of coauthors.

There was a significant increase in women’s authorship across all positions (first, second, and last) over the years (P < 0.001). Despite this progress, a substantial gender disparity remains evident. Women’s authorship positions were notably associated with the type of study, the subspecialty, and the continent of the corresponding author. There was a strong positive correlation (0.82) between the total number of authors and women’s first authorship position, whereas the correlation was negative (−0.54) for women’s last authorship position. Furthermore, women’s first and last authorship, as well as first and second authorship, were strongly associated, with odds ratios of 2.13 and 1.99, respectively.

The trajectory of women’s authorship in anesthesiology shows an upward trend, yet women continue to be underrepresented in the field. Particularly noteworthy is the finding that, when a woman is either the first or last author, there is a notable increase in the probability of having a woman as the second or first author, respectively. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for fostering inclusivity and diversity within the discipline.