Rights statement: The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Research on Aging, 38 (4), 2015, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2015 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Research on Aging page: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/roa on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/
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Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Access to a Car and the Self-Reported Health and Mental Health of People Aged 65 and Older in Northern Ireland
AU - Doebler, Stefanie
N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Research on Aging, 38 (4), 2015, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2015 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Research on Aging page: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/roa on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/
PY - 2016/5/1
Y1 - 2016/5/1
N2 - This article examines relationships between access to a car and the self-reported health and mental health of older people. The analysis is based on a sample of N = 65,601 individuals aged 65 years and older from the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study linked to 2001 and 2011 census returns. The findings from hierarchical linear and binary logistic multilevel path models indicate that having no access to a car is related to a considerable health and mental health disadvantage particularly for older people who live alone. Rural–urban health and mental health differences are mediated by access to a car. The findings support approaches that emphasize the importance of autonomy and independence for the well-being of older people and indicate that not having access to a car can be a problem for older people not only in rural but also in intermediate and urban areas, if no sufficient alternative forms of mobility are provided.
AB - This article examines relationships between access to a car and the self-reported health and mental health of older people. The analysis is based on a sample of N = 65,601 individuals aged 65 years and older from the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study linked to 2001 and 2011 census returns. The findings from hierarchical linear and binary logistic multilevel path models indicate that having no access to a car is related to a considerable health and mental health disadvantage particularly for older people who live alone. Rural–urban health and mental health differences are mediated by access to a car. The findings support approaches that emphasize the importance of autonomy and independence for the well-being of older people and indicate that not having access to a car can be a problem for older people not only in rural but also in intermediate and urban areas, if no sufficient alternative forms of mobility are provided.
U2 - 10.1177/0164027515590424
DO - 10.1177/0164027515590424
M3 - Journal article
VL - 38
SP - 453
EP - 476
JO - Research on Aging
JF - Research on Aging
SN - 0164-0275
IS - 4
ER -