Spain launches FEMFIT360‑SOCIAL study on hidden health needs of women over 50

The Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Galicia Sur (IISGS), together with the Sociedad Española de Médicos Generales y de Familia (SEMG), the Red Española de Investigación en Covid Prolongado (REiCOP) and other partners, has launched the FEMFIT360‑SOCIAL project. Selected by the Fundación la Caixa’s Conecta 2026 call – one of 17 projects chosen from 207 proposals – the two‑year study will begin in December and focus on women aged 50 and older who live with chronic inflammatory conditions such as HIV, post‑COVID syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

The research will map social and health‑care barriers, including stigma, menopause‑related issues, caregiving overload, loneliness and the contrast between rural and urban settings. By involving community organisations like the Asociación Gallega de VIH and the Fundación Española del Corazón, the team aims to co‑design interventions that reflect patients’ lived experiences. SEMG president Pilar Rodríguez Ledo said, “Generating evidence is the first step to reducing inequalities and moving toward truly person‑centred, equitable care.”

The project combines biomedical, clinical and social‑science expertise to produce data that could inform primary‑care practices and public‑health policies for women with chronic diseases in Spain.