Women are increasingly more worried about their own and their family’s health situation, a new study has revealed.

The survey by health insurance specialist BUPA also found that they worry more than men over their family finances.

Nearly half of women said they were stressed in their every day lives compared to just four out of 10 men, the study revealed, adding that the credit crunch was largely responsible for the problem.

It found that more women face more pressure in the workplace and worry significantly far more than their male counterparts about family finances.

One-in-two women, it said, was experiencing increased stress at work as opposed to just over a third of men.

Also, nearly six out of 10 women fear for their finances compared to less than half of men.

As a result of fear about their own health one-in-five women loses sleep, while more than a third of women who worry about their family finances find it hard to sleep at night.