Objective: The aim of the study was to determine whether there were differences in practice characteristics between male and female chiropractors working in South Africa.

Methods: A secondary analysis of data from the online survey "The Analysis of the Scope of Chiropractic Practice in South Africa in 2015" was performed, relating to demographic data, work environment, patient data, chief complaint, treatment techniques, and conditions treated. The original survey yielded a 30% response rate (n = 214), of which 212 responses to the question relating to sex, indicated 56.13% (n = 119) male respondents and 43.87% (n = 93) female respondents. Using the X² test, differences in practice characteristics between male and female chiropractors were compared.

Results: Significant differences were noted for South African female chiropractors reporting that they spent more time with patients during initial (P = .028) and subsequent (P = .0001) visits and more time on direct patient care (P = .0001). South African male chiropractors showed significant differences in being in practice for longer (P = .002), treating more patients per week (P = .0001), number of new patients seen per week (P = .0001), and spending more time working in their practice per week.

Conclusion: We found differences between self-reported male and female chiropractors in their practice characteristics, particularly in the number of patients seen per week and hours worked per week. These factors may need to be considered in the profession as the number of female chiropractors increases.

Author keywords: Career Choice; Practice Patterns; Chiropractic

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