DRIVING CESSATION AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS: GENDER AND CROSS-NATIONAL DIFFERENCES

Abstract

Background: Previous research showed that driving cessation is significantly related to depressive symptoms (Ragland et al., 2005). However, limited studies have considered gender and cross-national differences. This study aims to investigate (1) gender differences in the association between driving cessation and depressive symptoms, and (2) whether there is a cross-national variation between Korean and U.S older adults. Methods: Using data from the 2014 National Elderly Survey (KIHASA) in the Korea and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) in the US, a total of 4,274 older adults (2,062 Korean citizens and 2,212 U.S residents) aged ≥65 years were selected. Geriatric Depression Scale-15 and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-10 were used to measure depressive symptoms in Korean and U.S sample, respectively. Demographic characteristics, disease burden, and cognitive functioning were included as covariates. Results: Significant differences were found in the prevalence of driving cessation between nations. Korean elderly was more likely to stop driving than elderly in the U.S (34% vs. 9.5%). Women were more likely to cease to drive in both countries. In the U.S, driving cessation was significantly related to higher levels of depressive symptoms in both gender. However, in Korean older adults, driving cessation was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms only in men. Conclusions: The results indicate that the relationship between driving cessation and depressive symptoms differs across gender and nations, suggesting that driving cessation may increase depressive symptoms, especially for the U.S residents. Future research is more needed to examine underlying mechanisms.