Supporting Older Women in the Transition to Driving Cessation

ABSTRACTBackground:Driving cessation in later life is associated with depression. This study examines if social support can buffer the negative effects of driving cessation on older women's mental health.Methods:Participants were drawn from the 1921–1926 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) and included 4,075 older women (aged 76–87 years) who drove at baseline, following them for three years to assess driving cessation. The outcome variable was mental health, measured by the mental health index (MHI) of the SF-36. The explanatory variables were social support factors, including social interaction, whether the women were living alone or with others, and engagement in social activities. Control variables included age, country of birth, area of residence, ability to manage on income, marital status, and general health.Results:Main effect results showed that poor mental health was predicted by driving cessation, low levels of social interaction, and non-engagement in social activities. There was a significant interaction effect of driving status by social activities engagement on mental health. Women who remained active in their engagement of social activities were able to maintain a good level of mental health despite driving cessation.Conclusion:Engagement and participation in social activities can help older women who stopped driving maintain a good level of mental health.

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Driving Cessation in Old Age: Gender Influences on Mortality

Journal of Aging and Health ◽

10.1177/0898264321991254 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 089826432199125

Author(s):

Jiao Yu ◽

Eva Kahana ◽

Boaz Kahana ◽

Yuhan Zhang

Keyword(s):

Older Women ◽

Older Men ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Proportional Hazard ◽

Driving Cessation ◽

Mediation Effects ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard Regression ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽

Gender Influences

Objective: This study examined health and social support as mediators of the association between driving cessation and 10-year mortality among older men and older women. Method: Data were drawn from a prospective panel survey of 1000 community-dwelling older adults with follow-ups over a 10-year period. Extended Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the relative risk of driving cessation on mortality. Results: Mortality risk was 1.36 (CI = [1.06, 1.73]) times higher for nondrivers than drivers. This relationship was significantly mediated by health status in the overall sample. Physical health and cognitive health fully mediated the association between driving cessation and mortality among older men, whereas the mediation effects were partial among older women. Discussion: Gender differences in driving patterns may account for the differential mediation effects in the association between driving cessation and mortality.

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Gender Differences in Mortality Risk After Driving Cessation Among Older Men and Women: a Mediation Analysis

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.956 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 298-299

Author(s):

Jiao Yu ◽

Eva Kahana ◽

Boaz Kahana ◽

Yuhan Zhang

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Health Status ◽

Older Women ◽

Mortality Risk ◽

Panel Study ◽

Older Men ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Mediation Effect ◽

Driving Cessation

Abstract Driving is the most important personal transportation mode in the US for maintaining mobility. Previous studies of older adults who stop driving have identified several health risks associated with driving cessation, including less access to health care, increased dependency, social isolation, and elevated risk of mortality. The purpose of this analysis was to examine driving status as a predictor of mortality among community-dwelling older men and older women. Data were drawn from a prospective panel study of successful aging project of 1000 older adults (mean age = 80). Participants’ driving status was measured at baseline and mortality rates were observed across the subsequent 10 years. Extended Cox proportional hazard model indicated a 76% (p<0.001) significantly higher mortality risk for non-drivers versus drivers. This relationship was mediated by health conditions and functional status for both older men and older women. Among older men, health status fully mediates the association between driving cessation and mortality risk. A partial mediation effect of health status on the association between driving cessation and mortality risk was found among older women. Older women who stopped driving faced 56% (p>0.01) higher relative mortality risk than their driver counterparts. Social and cultural issues such as gender stereotype, autonomy, and social connection with their implication for driving may explain existing gender differences among older adults.

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Giving up driving: does social engagement buffer declines in mental health after driving cessation in older women?

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610216000831 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 28 (8) ◽

pp. 1235-1236 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

George W. Rebok ◽

Vanya C. Jones

Keyword(s):

Older Women ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Social Engagement ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Driving Cessation ◽

Health Decline

Many older adults consider driving as essential to maintaining their quality of life and independence, and this may be particularly true for individuals residing in more rural areas where transportation options may be limited. Although it is normative for individuals to eventually stop driving as they age, very few plan ahead for their driving retirement (Curl et al., 2014). The process of driving cessation has been associated with a host of negative consequences for physical and mental well-being, including increased depressive symptoms, reduced network of friends, lower activity levels, and accelerated health decline (Mezuk & Rebok, 2008; Edwards et al., 2009; Curl et al., 2014). Previous studies have found that, at all ages, women are more likely to stop driving in later life than men, and often stop driving prematurely, and that various factors such as education and marital status influence the likelihood of cessation differently for women and men (Ross et al., 2009; Choi et al., 2012). Thus, factors associated with driving cessation and its consequences for older women are important to understand, particularly factors that might help buffer the negative effects of giving up driving and that might serve as early targets for preventive interventions.

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