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American women are stressed out…but it could be worse

By
Patricia Sellers
Patricia Sellers
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By
Patricia Sellers
Patricia Sellers
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June 28, 2011, 7:49 PM ET

Who is more stressed than an information-overloaded, work-and-family-balancing, time-starved American woman?

Women in India, Mexico, Russia and Brazil, according to a study released by Nielsen today.

For its “Women of Tomorrow” study, the information and measurement company polled nearly 6,500 women in 21 countries and found that women in emerging markets generally feel more stressed than those in developed countries.

But across the developed world, there are several countries–Spain, France, and Italy–where women claim to be more stressed than women in the U.S.

So, where in the world do the least stressed women reside? Go to liberal and egalitarian Sweden to find them.

And what about the “Women of Tomorrow”? When Nielsen asked about opportunities for the next generation of women, the most popular answer was “having access to technology.” No surprise there. The least popular area of opportunity, among 18 listed in the survey, is more interesting: “reducing stress in your day-to-day life.”

In other words, it’s probably better to live in the stressful here and now than in an even more stressful tomorrow.

About the Author
By Patricia Sellers
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