Gender equality in global health leadership: Cross-sectional survey of global health graduates

Figures & data

Figure 1. Empowerment-based model to advance women’s leadership in global health.

Source: Adapted from Yount et al. (2018).

Table 1. Demographic characteristics of alumni participants, global health leadership and empowerment survey.

Variable	Total^a (N = 353)	Women^a (N = 293)	Men^a (N = 60)
Age, mean (SD)	35·2(8·0)	34·2(7·1)	40·2(10·1)***
Years in programme, mean (SD)	1·9(0·8)	1·9(0·9)	1·6(0·7)**
Highest degree received from Emory University, %
MPH	85·3	89·8	63·3***
PhD or MPH + PhD/MD/MSN/PA	5·4	5·1	6·7
Non-degree fellow	9·4	5·1	30·0***
Fellow, %	14·4	6·8	51·7***
Current Employment Status, %
Student	12·5	12·6	11·7
Employed in a global public health field	45·0	43·6	51·7
Employed in a U.S.-centered public health field	28·9	30·4	21·7
Employed in a non-public health field	8·5	7·8	11·7
Unemployed	3·4	3·4	3·3
Not applicable	1·2	2·0	0·0
Current sector, %
University/research	28·9	29·7	25·0
Government (state, local, federal)	25·4	25·2	26·7
Private practice/Self-employed/Private-for-profit Co	4·0	4·8	0·0
Nonprofit/NGO	19·4	19·3	20·0
For-profit/nonprofit combined	7·4	7·2	8·3
Hospital/Health care facility	6·7	7·9	1·7
UN agency	4·9	4·8	5·0
Not applicable	3·1	1·0	13·3***
Race or ethnic descent, %
Non-Hispanic White or Euro-American	60·6	66·6	31·7***
African, Afro-Caribbean, or African American	12·5	8·5	31·7***
Latino or Latin American	4·8	4·8	5·0
Asian or Asian American	16·7	14·7	26·7*
Arab or Arab American	3·7	3·4	5·0
Other	5·4	5·8	3·3

^aThe number of participants was constant across all variables except age (total 346; women 287; men 59) and years in a GH programme (total 328; women 271; men 57)

^†p < .10.

*p < .05.

**p < .01.

***p < .001 based on t-test for continuous variables or Chi-Square test statistic for categorical variables.

Table 2. Resources acquired during training in global health, global health leadership and empowerment survey.

	Total (N = 353)	Women (N = 293)	Men (N = 60)
Leadership experience at Emory University (ref: none), %
Participant/member	21·0	19·5	28·3
Organisational leader/supervisor	51·3	52·9	43·3
Human resources (Yes = 1), %
Training in research methods (qualitative, quantitative)	91·8	94·5	78·3***
Training in evaluation design	68·8	72·0	53·3**
Opportunity to lead-author or co-author a publication	39·7	42·3	26·7*
In-country practicum to strengthen field experience	65·4	68·6	50·0**
Guidance on building teams for research, practice, advocacy	28·9	28·3	31·7
Training on emotional intelligence (e.g. negotiation, conflict mgmt.)	32·9	32·8	33·3
Training on ethical principles for work in global health	15·3	13·0	26·7*
Training in management	51·6	53·6	41·7^†
Training in leadership development	26·6	23·2	43·3**
Other	23·2	18·4	46·7***
Human resources summative score, M (SD)	4·5(1·8)	4·5(1·7)	4·3(1·9)
Economic resources (Yes = 1), %
Recommendation for fellowship or award	23·2	17·1	53·3***
Academic or other scholarship	24·1	25·3	18·3
Mentorship on intramural grant writing	28·3	28·7	26·7
Mentorship on extramural grant writing	4·5	5·1	1·7
Opportunity to take part on funded team project led by HDGH affiliate	3·1	3·4	1·7
Financial support to attend a professional conference	14·7	14·3	16·7
REAL (Rollins Earn and Learn) student funding	15·0	12·3	28·3**
Recommendation for employment	38·0	42·0	18·3***
Other	36·5	38·6	26·7^†
Economic resources summative score, M (SD)	2·0(1·3)	2·0(1·3)	2·0(1·5)
Social resources (Yes = 1), %
Integration into a project-based team	43·1	45·7	30·0*
Integration into a peer-mentor group	16·7	17·4	13·3
Affiliation with a student organisation	50·0	52·9	35·0*
Leadership of a student organisation	32·3	35·2	18·3**
Affiliation with a professional organisation	32·3	30·4	41·7^†
Leadership of a professional organisation	4·3	3·0	10·0*
Opportunity to attend a professional conference	39·7	34·5	65·0***
Introduction to a senior colleague in your field	56·1	55·6	58·3
In-country internship to extend global networks	41·9	44·7	28·3*
Professional recognition via social media	22·4	21·8	25·0
Other	8·2	7·9	10·0
Social resources summative score, M (SD)	3·5(2·0)	3·5(1·9)	3·4(2·2)

Note. All mean scores are average sums of the items immediately preceding, each item scored 0 (did not acquire) or 1 (did acquire) the resource during training.

^†p < .10.

*p < .05.

**p < .01.

***p < .001 for t-test of difference, women versus men.

Table 3. Satisfaction with GH training, career-related agency, and employment in global health, global health leadership and empowerment survey.

Outcome, M (SD)	Total (N = 353)	Women (N = 293)	Men (N = 60)
(1) Satisfaction with GH training	7·7(1·7)	7·6(1·7)	8·2(1·8)*
(2) Increased professional confidence	7·7(2·0)	7·5(2·0)	8·2(1·9)*
(3) Ability to negotiate professional interests	6·6(2·3)	6·4(2·3)	7·6(2·1)***
(4) Ability to lead	6·5(2·2)	6·3(2·2)	7·4(2·3)***
(5) Advancing professionally	7·8(2·0)	7·7(2·0)	8·3(2·1)*
(6) Preparation for current professional role	7·2(2·3)	7·1(2·2)	7·8(2·3)*
(7) Employed in global health	45·0	43·7	51·7

Note. All mean scores are based on scales ranging from 1 (not at all) to 10 (extremely).

†p < .10.

*p < .05.

**p < .01.

***p < .001, based on t-tests for outcomes (1) to (6) and a Chi-Squared test statistic for dichotomous outcome (7), for women versus men.

Table 4. Adjusted odds of scoring in upper tertile on satisfaction with training, career agency, and career outcomes, global health leadership and empowerment survey (N = 353).

	Satisfaction with training		Professional agency								Professional achievements
			Professional confidence		Negotiation skills		Leadership ability		Professional preparation		Professional advancement		Employed in global health
	OR	(95% CI)	OR	(95% CI)	OR	(95% CI)	OR	(95% CI)	OR	(95% CI)	OR	(95% CI)	OR	(95% CI)
Female gender (ref: Male)^a	0·45**	0·26, 0·79	0·47*	0·25, 0·88	0·54*	0·29, 0·98	0·33***	0·18, 0·60	0·41**	0·23, 0·72	0·52*	0·28, 0·95	0·73	0·42, 1·27
Female gender (ref: Male)^b	0·45*	0·25, 0·83	0·67	0·33, 1·33	0·66	0·34, 1·28	0·51*	0·26, 0·98	0·47*	0·26, 0·86	0·59	0·30, 1·14	0·81	0·45, 1·47
Female gender (ref: Male)^c	0·50*	0·26, 0·98	0·72	0·34, 1·53	0·77	0·37, 1·60	0·61	0·28, 1·34	0·56^†	0·29, 1·06	0·62	0·31, 1·27	0·98	0·51, 1·86
Leadership experience at Emory University (ref: none)
Participant/member	0·96	0·45, 2·02	1·25	0·49, 3·19	1·09	0·47, 2·55	1·23	0·45, 3·42	1·06	0·51, 2·21	0·71	0·31, 1·65	2·16*	1·08, 4·33
Org.-team leader/supervisor/manager	0·87	0·44, 1·73	1·47	0·62, 3·52	1·19	0·54, 2·60	2·13	0·82, 5·54	1·10	0·56, 2·16	0·99	0·47, 2·08	2·14*	1·13, 4·03
Human resources score	1·38***	1·18, 1·62	1·26*	1·06, 1·51	1·16^†	0·99, 1·37	1·27*	1·05, 1·52	1·34***	1·15, 1·57	1·27**	1·07, 1·50	1·03	0·89, 1·19
Economic resources score	1·07	0·87, 1·31	1·02	0·81, 1·31	0·96	0·76, 1·20	1·09	0·85, 1·40	1·02	0·83, 1·25	1·03	0·82, 1·29	1·13	0·93, 1·38
Social resources score	1·11	0·95, 1·31	1·10	0·91, 1·33	1·19^†	0·76, 1·20	1·28*	1·05, 1·56	0·98	0·84, 1·15	1·04	0·87, 1·24	0·89	0·77, 1·04
Prior leadership experience (ref: no)
Participant/member	0·74	0·23, 2·33	0·43	0·12, 1·55	0·54	0·16, 1·79	0·33	0·09, 1·26	0·99	0·34, 2·93	0·93	0·30, 2·88	0·46	0·16, 1·26
Organisational leader/supervisor	0·86	0·31, 2·36	0·34^†	0·11, 1·02	0·45	0·16, 1·30	0·20**	0·06, 0·63	0·74	0·28, 1·94	0·51	0·19, 1·42	0·59	0·24, 1·44
Training level (ref: MPH)
Joint: MPH and MD/PhD/MSN/PA	1·34	0·48, 3·78	1·69	0·48, 5·88	1·16	0·35, 3·81	0·87	0·18, 4·30	1·51	0·54, 4·20	2·27	0·77, 6·70	0·19*	0·05, 0·70
Non-degree fellow	2·14^†	0·87, 5·29	1·27	0·47, 3·41	2·17	0·83, 5·67	4·02**	1·46, 11·06	2·47*	1·01, 6·02	1·19	0·45, 3·18	3·52**	1·42, 8·74
Racial or ethnic descent (ref: White)
African, Afro-Caribbean, African American	1·16	0·52, 2·59	3·98**	1·70, 9·34	2·56*	1·16, 5·64	5·87***	2·41, 14·25	1·96^†	0·91, 4·23	2·61*	1·17, 5·84	0·99	0·47, 2·06
Latino or Latin American	1·47	0·47, 4·54	4·33*	1·34, 14·01	0·58	0·14, 2·37	1·96	0·51, 7·52	1·46	0·48, 4·44	2·10	0·66, 6·67	0·34^†	0·10, 1·11
Asian or Asian American	0·98	0·49, 1·96	2·04^†	0·92, 4·53	0·76	0·35, 1·69	2·34*	1·03, 5·32	1·09	0·55, 2·16	0·78	0·34, 1·79	0·88	0·47, 1·66
Arab or Arab American	0·82	0·20, 3·39	1·96	0·38, 10·21	0·34	0·04, 2·96	3·47	0·71, 16·91	1·23	0·33, 4·53	2·76	0·74, 10·31	2·09	0·57, 7·64
Other	0·63	0·19, 2·13	0·65	0·13, 3·32	0·78	0·21, 2·88	1·39	0·33, 5·88	0·66	0·20, 2·15	0·73	0·19, 2·73	0·47	0·16, 1·40
Constant	0·13**	0·04, 0·46	0·08**	0·02, 0·33	0·17**	0·05, 0·64	0·05***	0·01, 0·22	0·20*	0·06, 0·68	0·17**	0·05, 0·62	0·86	0·27, 2·67

^aUnadjusted.

^bAdjusted for prior leadership roles and racial or ethnic descent.

^cAdjusted for prior leadership roles, racial or ethnic descent, and leadership opportunities as well as human, economic, and social resources received during GH training.

^†p < .10.

*p < .05.

**p < .01.

***p < .001.

Yount, K.M., Miedema, S.S., Clark, C.J., Chen, J.S., & del Rio, C. (2018). GROW: A model for mentorship to advance women’s leadership in global health. Global Health, Epidemiology and Genomics, 3, e5. https://doi.org/10.1017/gheg.2018.5.

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