Table.
Characteristics of 202 male and female consultants interviewed about balance between work and family life. Values are numbers (percentages) of respondents
| Male | Female | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years): | |||
| 40-45 | 42 (49) | 78 (67) | 120 (59) |
| 46-50* | 44 (51) | 38 (33) | 82 (41) |
| All | 86 (100) | 116 (100) | 202 (100) |
| Specialty: | |||
| Diagnostic | 10 (12) | 29 (25) | 39 (19) |
| Medical | 28 (32) | 31 (27) | 59 (29) |
| Surgical | 15 (17) | 17 (14) | 32 (16) |
| Psychiatry | 13 (15) | 20 (17) | 33 (16) |
| Obstetrics and gynaecology | 6 (7) | 9 (8) | 15 (7) |
| Anaesthetics | 14 (16) | 10 (9) | 24 (12) |
| Current employment status: | |||
| Full time (includes maximum part time) | 86 (100) | 94 (81) | 180 (89) |
| Less than full time | 0 | 22 (19) | 22 (11) |
| Mean age at which consultant post achieved: | |||
| Diagnostic | 37.0 | 34.4 | 34.4 |
| Medical | 37.1 | 37.2 | 37.2 |
| Surgical | 37.2 | 36.6 | 36.6 |
| Psychiatry | 38.0 | 37.2 | 37.2 |
| Obstetrics and gynaecology | 40.7 | 37.0 | 37.0 |
| Anaesthetics | 35.7 | 36.2 | 36.2 |
| Marital status: | |||
| Single | 4 (5) | 17 (14) | 21 (10) |
| Married/cohabited (once) | 66 (77) | 79 (68) | 145 (72) |
| Married/cohabited (more than once) | 10 (12) | 10 (8) | 20 (10) |
| Divorced/separated/widowed | 6 (7) | 10 (9) | 16 (8) |
| Grade at first marriage: | |||
| Medical school | 10 (13) | 13 (15) | 23 (14) |
| General professional training | 25 (33) | 21 (24) | 46 (28) |
| Higher specialist training | 31 (41) | 44 (49) | 75 (45) |
| Consultant | 10 (13) | 11 (12) | 21 (13) |
| All | 76 (100) | 89 (100) | 165 (100) |
| Age (years) of youngest child: | |||
| No children | 10 (12) | 32 (28) | 42 (21) |
| 0-5 | 17 (20) | 31 (27) | 48 (24) |
| 6-10 | 27 (31) | 27 (23) | 54 (27) |
| 11-16 | 25 (29) | 17 (14) | 42 (21) |
| ⩾17 | 7 (8) | 9 (8) | 16 (8) |
| All | 86 (100) | 116 (100) | 202 (100) |
| Medical grade at birth of first child: | |||
| Student | 1 (1) | 1 (1) | 2 (1) |
| House officer | 1 (1) | 1 (1) | 2 (1) |
| Senior house officer | 10 (13) | 13 (16) | 23 (15) |
| Registrar | 25 (33) | 15 (18) | 40 (25) |
| Senior registrar | 22 (29) | 23 (28) | 45 (29) |
| Consultant | 16 (21) | 29 (35) | 45 (29) |
| All | 75 (100) | 82 (100) | 157† (100) |
| Employment status of consultant's partner: | |||
| Full time/self employed | 24 (31) | 75 (84) | 99 (60) |
| Part time | 24 (31) | 6 (7) | 30 (18) |
| Unemployed/student/retired | 4 (5) | 6 (7) | 10 (6) |
| Housewife/househusband | 24 (32) | 2 (2) | 26 (16) |
| All | 76 (100) | 89 (100) | 165 (100) |
*
1 respondent was aged 51 at interview.
†
Data not available in three cases.