Rheumatology Trials: Low Female Author Representation (2009-2023)
- Women remain underrepresented in randomized clinical trials, or RCTs, within rheumatology, raising concerns about scientific quality and career advancement, researchers say.
- To evaluate women's authorship in rheumatology RCTs, a team led by Lauper analyzed trials published from 2009 to 2023.
- The researchers determined author gender using the Gender API service, which draws from a database of over 6 million names.
Women are considerably underrepresented as authors in rheumatology randomized clinical trials (RCTs), a critical issue analyzed in research spanning from 2009 to 2023. This study reveals that, while nearly 40% of authors are female, disparities persist, especially in RCTs originating from Asia and Europe, and those funded by industry. Primary keyword in teh research, along with secondary keyword reveals the need for structured policies, mentorship and leadership that promotes women in the field. News Directory 3 offers readers the latest insights into medical breakthroughs, this research underscores the importance of addressing barriers hindering gender equity in research. Discover what’s next regarding the initiatives to improve portrayal.
Gender Disparity Persists in Rheumatology RCT Authorship
Updated July 3, 2025
Women remain underrepresented in randomized clinical trials, or RCTs, within rheumatology, raising concerns about scientific quality and career advancement, researchers say.
To evaluate women’s authorship in rheumatology RCTs, a team led by Lauper analyzed trials published from 2009 to 2023. They used a database previously developed for a study of RCT registration in rheumatology, identifying trials in rheumatology journals and top internal medicine journals.
The researchers determined author gender using the Gender API service, which draws from a database of over 6 million names. The tool, assessing first name and country of affiliation, has an accuracy above 98% for Africa, Europe, and America, and around 95% for Asia, the team noted.
Industrial funding, intervention type, sample size, journal adherence to guidelines from the International committee of Medical Journal Editors, impact factor, publication year, non-academic affiliations and author positions were also analyzed.
The study included 1,092 RCTs with 10,794 authors.
Researchers found that 39.8% of the authors were women. Female authorship was more likely in RCTs based in Africa and in those where the last author was a woman. They were also more common among authors affiliated with pharmaceutical companies.
Though, female authorship was less common in RCTs based in Asia and Europe, and also in industry-funded RCTs (OR = 0.79). Women were also less often the last (OR = 0.63) or second-to-last authors (OR = 0.73), the researchers reported.
Lauper and colleagues emphasized the need to address barriers to gender equity in rheumatology RCT authorship. They advocate for structured policies and support for women through mentorship and leadership opportunities.
“The stagnation in gender parity within rheumatology RCT authorship calls for a concerted effort to understand and dismantle the barriers to equity,” Lauper and colleagues wrote.
“Such initiatives are not only essential for fostering gender equity but also for enhancing the quality of scientific research through diverse perspectives,” they added.”The possible role model effect provides a compelling argument for initiatives aimed at promoting women into leadership positions within the academic and clinical research settings of rheumatology.”
What’s next
Further research is needed to understand the specific barriers preventing women from achieving equal representation in rheumatology RCT authorship and to develop targeted interventions to address these issues.