COVID-19 and Gender Disparities in Pediatric Cardiologists with Dependent Care Responsibilities

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affects females in the home and workplace. This study aimed to acquire information regarding the gender-specific effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on aspects of professional and personal lives of a subset of pediatric cardiologists. We sent an online multiple-choice survey to a listserv of Pediatric Cardiologists. Data collected included demographics, dependent care details, work hours, leave from work, salary cut, childcare hours before and after the COVID-19 peak lockdown/ stay at home mandate and partner involvement. Two hundred forty-two pediatric cardiologists with dependent care responsibilities responded (response rate of 20.2%). A significantly higher proportion of females reported a salary cut (29.1% of females vs 17.6% of males, p = 0.04) and scaled back or discontinued work (14% vs 5.3%; p = 0.03). Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown phase, females provided more hours of dependent care. Females also reported a significantly greater increase in childcare hours overall per week (45 hours post/30 hours pre vs 30 hours post/20 hours pre for men; p < 0.001). Male cardiologists were much more likely to have partners who reduced work hours (67% vs 28%; p < 0.001) and reported that their partners took a salary cut compared with partners of female cardiologists (51% vs 22%; p < 0.001). In conclusion, gender disparity in caregiver responsibilities existed among highly skilled pediatric cardiologists even before the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has disproportionately affected female pediatric cardiologists with respect to dependent care responsibilities, time at work, and financial compensation.

Effect of Coronavirus Disease-2019 on the Workload of Neonatologists

“…Though the number of self-defined leadership positions in our older age category was similar between genders, the differences in our younger category and that other studies show in the position types and importance level remain concerning ( 16 , 36 ). Our gender-related findings were less significant than earlier pandemic reports from other specialties ( 1 , 6 , 29 , 57 , 58 ), perhaps due to our comprehensive inclusion of private practice neonatologists who tend to have less proportion of time devoted to scholarly work at baseline. Manuscript submissions increased for some journals in late spring 2020 ( 29 , 50 ), with the greatest increase among male international authors ( 29 ).…”

“…These impacts were experienced differentially by segments of the neonatologist workforce. We found the COVID-19 pandemic especially affected neonatologists who are early-career, with younger dependents at home, and women, a finding that is echoed in study of other subspecialties (6,56). That the groups most affected by the pandemic represent the largest segment of the pediatric workforce, women of childbearing age or with children at home (33, 51), has serious implications for not only individual physicians but the field overall.…”

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has significant effects on the physician workforce that have yet to be well characterized. The pandemic’s adverse consequences have not affected physicians equally and threaten to intensify existing gender disparities in medical careers ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ). Additionally, parents have faced extra challenges with often inadequate workplace and domestic support ( 4 , 8 ).…”

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has significant effects on the physician workforce that have yet to be well characterized. The pandemic's adverse consequences have not affected physicians equally and threaten to intensify existing gender disparities in medical careers (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7).…”

Impact of a Pandemic on Early Career Women

“…As part of gender-associated social norms, these responsibilities significantly increased for many ECWs due to a variety of factors including school and daycare closures. 2 As a result, other expectations and academic achievements such as completion of publications, research, committee involvement, and clinical productivity were sidelined. Despite increasing time spent caring for children and family due to inability to outsource such responsibilities, especially early in the pandemic, clinical and academic expectations remained the same, with some ECWs even having increased workload expectations.…”