# Socioeconomic Determinants of Health and Well-Being in a Low Resource Setting: A Case of Older Adults Living in a Rural Setting in the Northwestern Cambodia

> **NIH NIH R36** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $39,668

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
 BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic differentials and their influence on health of older adults is
disproportionately documented in high-income countries. Given socioeconomic, cultural and historical
differences between these countries and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), findings could be biased
or even invalid for a universal generalization. Thus, aging studies on socioeconomic characteristics and health
must be examined contextually. Among older adults, such investigations are rare and just published in the last
twenty years. The hypothesis central to the socioeconomic status-health association is the negative
relationship between socioeconomic characteristics and health outcomes, but the extent to which this
association exists within a low-resource setting is not known among older adults of LMICs in Southeast Asia,
particularly Cambodia. Considering individual nations' cultural and historical differences may impact how
socioeconomic characteristics are conceptualized and measured, a precise examination of the topic is
required. From the life course perspective, the older population with histories of violence and psychological
distress must be studied within their cultural and historical context. Using survey data collected by this
investigator in 2019, this study proposes to examine physical and psychological health of older Cambodians
residing in a rural and low-resource setting in the northwestern Cambodia, using contextually sensitive
measures and a rigorous theoretical framework. AIMS: This project aims 1) to characterize older Cambodians
in terms of demographic characteristics, social support, socioeconomic characteristics, and physical and
psychological health, 2) to examine associations of socioeconomic characteristics with physical health and
psychological health among older Cambodians, and 3) to investigate potential mediating roles of social support
and welfare support in the associations. METHODS: This study will use the most recent aging data of 220
older adults living in a rural setting of three Cambodian provinces. Dependent variables include the number of
health complaints and psychological well-being index. Independent variables are household wealth index and a
latent variable derived from three subjective self-perceived economic circumstances. Social support and
welfare support are operationalized using Social Support and Social Network scale and status of welfare
assistance, respectively. Descriptive analysis will be used to achieve Aim 1. Structural equation modeling will
be used to examined Aim 2 and Aim 3. IMPLICATION: Findings will reduce disparity in social aging research
in LMICs and have practical significance for development of programs and policies targeting older adults living
in rural and low-resource settings. This investigation will further our understanding of the contextual
socioeconomic characteristics and social support that may be modifiable to influence health for older adults in...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10932841
- **Project number:** 5R36AG080213-02
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Kakada Kuy
- **Activity code:** R36 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $39,668
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-22 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10932841

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10932841, Socioeconomic Determinants of Health and Well-Being in a Low Resource Setting: A Case of Older Adults Living in a Rural Setting in the Northwestern Cambodia (5R36AG080213-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10932841. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*