Economy stresses women more than men

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Oct. 8 (UPI) -- The shaky U.S. economy is taking a physical and emotional toll on people nationwide, with women feeling it more than men, a survey indicates.

Almost half of U.S. adults say that they are increasingly stressed about their ability to provide for their family's basic needs and 80 percent say the economy is a significant cause of stress, up from 66 percent in April, says the survey conducted by Harris Interactive for the American Psychological Association.

The survey of 1,791 adults was conducted from June 23 to Aug. 13 also found women are more likely than men to report stress related to the economic climate -- 83 percent compared to 75 percent of men.

Baby boomer women ages 44 to 62 and matures age 63 and over are most likely to report the economy as a significant cause of stress, while women in general rank financial worries above personal health.

Women were more likely than men to report unhealthy behaviors to manage stress such as eating poorly, shopping or napping. Almost one-fifth of Americans report drinking alcohol to manage their stress, while 16 percent report smoking.

No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated, officials at Harris Interactive said.