Two Year Sustainability of the Effect of a Financial Education Program on the Health and Wellbeing of Single, Low-Income Women

Financial stress is implicated in poor health and decreased Quality of Life (QOL). The purpose of this project was to assess the 2-year effect of a financial education program on the health of single, low-income women. A total of 30 women were enrolled and 20 continued through follow-up. Two years following intervention, women demonstrated a $8,026 increase in mean annual income and significant improvements in health-related QOL and hopefulness. Half of the participants lost weight, and while not statistically significant, mean weight decreased by 2.2 pounds. Trends in decreased fast food consumption were observed. The results suggest that financial education has a significant, sustained effect on the health and health-related QOL of single, women of low income.