Browsing by Author "Kirui Risper"

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    Socioeconomic status, perceived family support and psychological distress inolder Kenyans: a cross-sectional study
    (taylor &francis, 2024) Muruthi James R.; Nyawaga Christine; Kirui Risper; Maina Lucy; Mwega Elijah
    Objectives: Incidences of psychological distress are on the rise among older Kenyans. While socio-economic status and family support have been shown to impact the mental health of older individuals,they remain understudied in the older Kenyan population. This study investigated the prevalence ofpsychological distress among older Kenyans and examined its relationships with economic statusand perceived family support.Method: Data came from a cross-sectional survey of 376 older Kenyans from four rural and urbanareas in 2022. The survey collected demographic, global health, social support, socioeconomic, andpsychological health variables. Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationshipbetween socioeconomic status, family support, and psychological distress.Results: Overall, 61% reported high psychological distress, with women experiencing significantlyhigher levels. Structural equation modeling results indicated that food insecurity, flooring material,material wealth, chronic health, self-rated physical health, sex, and education were significant predic-tors. The dimensions of family support were not significantly associated with psychological distress.Conclusion: The findings illuminate that psychological distress is a critical health concern for thesample and needs targeted health interventions. They also underline the essential role of economicstatus in the psychological distress of older Kenyans. Future studies should explore these relationshipsusing longitudinal, family-level, and representative data