Researchers in Spain studied 1,425 adults to understand why some people exercise less and eat less healthily than others. They found that being a woman AND having money troubles made it much harder to stay active—about twice as likely to exercise very little compared to men without money worries. Interestingly, healthy eating habits were more evenly distributed across groups, though women still had slightly lower rates. The study suggests that programs to help people get more active should especially focus on women facing financial challenges, rather than trying one-size-fits-all solutions.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether women and men with different money situations exercise enough and eat a Mediterranean diet (lots of vegetables, fish, and olive oil)
  • Who participated: 1,425 adults living in Girona, Spain, including both men and women, some with money worries and some without
  • Key finding: Women struggling financially were about 21 percentage points more likely to exercise very little compared to men without money problems. This gap was much bigger than expected when combining both factors together.
  • What it means for you: If you’re a woman facing money challenges, you may face extra barriers to exercise. Communities should create programs that specifically help this group get more active. Healthy eating was more evenly spread across groups, so general nutrition advice may work for everyone.

The Research Details

This was a snapshot study where researchers asked 1,425 people in Spain about their lives at one point in time. They asked people about their money situation (whether they could comfortably pay their bills), how much they exercised, and what they ate. The researchers then looked at four groups: men with money troubles, men without, women with money troubles, and women without. They used math to figure out how much the groups differed from each other.

The researchers measured exercise using a detailed questionnaire that asks about all the activities people do in a week. They scored healthy eating using a Mediterranean diet checklist that counts how often people eat foods like fish, vegetables, and olive oil. They then compared the groups to see which had the lowest activity levels and poorest diet quality.

This approach is important because real life is complicated. People aren’t just affected by being a woman OR having money problems—they’re affected by both at the same time. By looking at how these two factors work together, researchers can spot which groups need the most help and design better programs.

This study is a real-world snapshot rather than an experiment, so it shows what’s happening but can’t prove one thing causes another. The study included a good number of people (1,425) from one Spanish city, which makes the results reliable for that area but may not apply everywhere. The researchers adjusted their math for other factors like age and education that might affect results, which strengthens the findings.

What the Results Show

Women in the study were much less likely to exercise regularly than men. When researchers looked at just money troubles alone, the problem got worse—40.9% of people with money worries exercised very little compared to 26.7% of those without worries. The biggest gap appeared when combining both factors: women with money troubles were 20.8 percentage points more likely to exercise very little than men without money troubles.

Interestingly, about 11.6 of those 20.8 percentage points came from the combination of being a woman AND having money troubles together—more than you’d expect if the two problems just added up separately. This suggests these two challenges work together in a special way to make exercise even harder.

For healthy eating, the differences between groups were much smaller. Only the difference between men and women was statistically significant (about 8.5 percentage points), meaning women were slightly less likely to follow a Mediterranean diet. Money troubles didn’t create as big a gap in eating habits as it did for exercise.

The study found that about 27.8% of the population reported having money troubles. When looking at the four groups separately, the percentage of people with low activity ranged from 10.5% (men without money worries) to 40.3% (women with money worries)—nearly a four-fold difference. This shows how much the combination of factors matters. The researchers also tested how well their predictions worked and found modest accuracy, suggesting that other factors beyond sex and money also influence these health behaviors.

Earlier research has shown that both being a woman and having money troubles separately make it harder to exercise and eat well. This study adds something new by showing that these two problems together create an even bigger challenge than expected. The findings support what other studies have found about women exercising less, but highlight that money troubles make this gap much worse. The smaller differences in diet adherence match some previous research suggesting that eating habits may be less affected by money than exercise opportunities.

This study only took a snapshot at one moment in time, so researchers couldn’t prove that money troubles actually cause less exercise—just that they happen together. The study only included people from one Spanish city, so results might be different in other places with different cultures, climates, or economic situations. The researchers’ ability to predict who would exercise little or eat poorly was only modest (62-67% accurate), meaning other important factors weren’t captured. The study relied on people reporting their own exercise and eating, which can be less accurate than direct measurement.

The Bottom Line

Communities should create exercise programs specifically designed for women facing financial challenges, as this group faces the biggest barriers to staying active. General nutrition education may work for the whole population since diet differences were smaller. Programs should address practical barriers like cost, time, and access to safe exercise spaces. Confidence level: Moderate—the study clearly shows the problem exists but can’t prove these programs will work.

Women with money worries should especially pay attention to finding affordable ways to stay active. Community leaders and health officials should use this information to design better programs. Men without money troubles can likely benefit from general health advice. This research is most relevant to people in Spain and similar developed countries with comparable economic systems.

Changes in exercise habits typically take 4-8 weeks to become noticeable, though building a lasting routine takes 2-3 months. Diet changes may show benefits in energy levels within 2-3 weeks, though health improvements take longer. The barriers identified in this study (money, time, access) won’t disappear quickly, so realistic expectations are important.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track weekly exercise minutes in 15-minute increments and log 3-5 meals daily to monitor Mediterranean diet adherence. Set a goal of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week and track how many days you eat fish, vegetables, and use olive oil.
  • Start with one small change: add a 10-minute walk three times per week, or swap one meal per week for a Mediterranean-style meal with vegetables and fish. Use the app to find free or low-cost exercise options in your area and Mediterranean recipes using affordable ingredients.
  • Check your progress every two weeks by reviewing your exercise minutes and diet logs. Notice patterns in what stops you from exercising (time, cost, safety, motivation) and use the app to problem-solve. Track which affordable healthy foods you enjoy most and build meals around those.

This research shows patterns in a specific population but cannot prove that money troubles cause less exercise. Results apply most directly to Spain and similar countries. Individual circumstances vary greatly—some women with money troubles exercise regularly, while some men without troubles don’t. Before making major changes to your exercise or diet routine, especially if you have health conditions, talk with your doctor. This study provides general information, not personalized medical advice.