Supplementary Material for: Exploring Perceived Gender Disparities in Latin America's Vascular Neurology Workforce: Insights from a Survey-Based Study

Introduction: Limited research exists on women's challenges as specialized healthcare professionals in Latin America's stroke field. This survey-based study addresses the potential gender disparities in these professionals' work environments.

Methods: This exploratory study used an online survey to investigate the work environment of women healthcare professionals in stroke across several Latin American countries. Conducted between September and November 2023, it included demographics, relationship status, reproductive history, and gender roles related to healthcare work and/or academic life. Women responders were invited through professional networks and local stroke care organizations. Descriptive analyses were performed, and sub-group comparisons were made using statistical tests such as Chi-square, FisherExact, or Kruskal-Wallis.

Results: A total of 291 responses were gathered from 16 Latin American countries. The average age was 40.01±9.61 years, 34% reported holding leadership positions, with 49.5% having women as supervisors. Furthermore, 41% were married, and 52.9% reported having children. Among those, 29.2% perceived adverse effects of childcare on their academic trajectories, with 71.43% being unable to participate in academic conferences. Only 16.1% held leadership roles in scientific organizations, although 52% were involved in educational endeavors within university settings.

Conclusions:
Our survey reveals perceived significant hurdles women healthcare professionals encounter in stroke, notably concerning the influence of maternity on job performance and career development. Furthermore, these results highlight inequalities in leadership roles and career pathways. By shedding light on these obstacles, we aim to increase awareness and advocate for implementing fair policies to create a supportive work environment.

引言：目前针对拉丁美洲脑卒中（stroke）领域女性专科医疗从业者所面临困境的相关研究较为匮乏。本项基于问卷调查的研究旨在探讨该领域从业者工作环境中可能存在的性别差异。
研究方法：本探索性研究采用线上问卷调查方式，针对多个拉丁美洲国家的脑卒中领域女性医疗从业者的工作环境展开调研。本次调研于2023年9月至11月期间开展，问卷内容涵盖人口统计学特征、婚恋状况、生育史，以及与医疗工作和/或学术生涯相关的性别角色认知。研究通过专业社交网络及当地脑卒中护理组织招募女性受访者。本研究采用描述性分析方法，并通过卡方检验（Chi-square）、费希尔精确检验（FisherExact）或克鲁斯卡尔-沃利斯检验（Kruskal-Wallis）等统计检验方法进行亚组比较。
研究结果：本研究共回收来自16个拉丁美洲国家的有效问卷291份。受访者平均年龄为40.01±9.61岁，其中34%的受访者担任管理职位，49.5%的受访者的上级主管为女性。此外，41%的受访者处于已婚状态，52.9%的受访者育有子女。在育有子女的受访者中，29.2%认为育儿对其学术发展轨迹产生了负面影响，71.43%的受访者无法参与学术会议。仅有16.1%的受访者在学术组织中担任管理职务，不过52%的受访者参与了高校内的教育相关工作。
结论：本调研结果显示，脑卒中领域女性医疗从业者面临诸多显著困境，尤以生育对工作表现及职业发展的影响最为突出。此外，研究结果同时揭示了该领域在管理职位及职业发展路径上存在的不平等现象。本研究旨在通过揭示这些障碍，提升社会对此问题的认知，并倡导制定公平合理的政策，以构建支持性的工作环境。