According to a new study, Latina women in the United States lack health insurance at a higher percentage than Hispanics in general and their male counterparts.

The study was released Thursday by Florida Atlantic University's Business Survey and Economy Initiative, which was "designed to contribute to the educational mission of the University by providing students with valuable opportunities to enhance their educational experience by designing and carry out public opinion research," according to the official website. It found that over 21 percent of Latinas in the U.S. do not have health insurance, versus 9.8 percent of Hispanics overall.

One year ago, 22.6 percent of Latinas were uninsured, and thus there has been "little progress" in getting Latinas insured, the researchers said according to EFE.

Latino men, on the other hand, were found to have improved health insurance rates compared to one year ago. This year, 8.9 percent of Latinos did not have health insurance, compared to 26 percent in 2013.

"Possible explanations for the gender difference in health care coverage and affordability can be that women on average have lower incomes than men so they have a harder time paying for health care costs," Monica Escaleras, director of FAU BEPI, explained in a statement.

The study examined 529 Hispanic participants and had a margin of error of 4.2 percent.

The National Council of La Raza, the biggest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy group in the country, reports that "Latinos are more likely to be uninsured than any other racial or ethnic group in the U.S."

According to EFE, over 8 million people acquired medical insurance through the 2010 Affordable Care Act from Oct. 2013 through April of this year. A minimum of 10.7 percent of those 8 million were Hispanic, which President Barack Obama's administration said is "a good start."

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Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.

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