Link between a preference for women colonoscopists and social status in Korean women

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. Design Single-center prospective study. Setting Academic medical center, from October to November 2005. Subjects 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. Main Outcome Measurements 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