Perceived Social Support Differences between Male and Female Older Adults who have Reduced Driving: AAA LongROAD Study

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety · 2020 · AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

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Summary

This research brief examines differences in perceived social support between male and female older adults who have recently reduced their driving behaviors. The study is motivated by the understanding that driving reduction is often a precursor to driving cessation, a transition associated with declines in life satisfaction, increased depression, and reduced social participation. Because interventions enhancing social support can mitigate these negative outcomes, the authors sought to determine if gender-specific differences in support types exist among older drivers who have self-regulated their driving due to health issues, medication side effects, or cognitive declines. The analysis utilized baseline data from the AAA Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study, a prospective cohort of 2,990 drivers aged 65–79 across five U.S. sites. The specific sample for this brief consisted of 544 participants (18.2% of the total cohort) who reported reducing their driving in the past year. Social support was measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), which assesses three distinct dimensions: emotional support (having a confidante), instrumental support (assistance with daily tasks and transportation), and informational support (receiving advice or suggestions). The researchers employed chi-square tests to examine demographic relationships and two-sample t-tests, adjusted for site, marital status, income, and alternative transportation use, to identify sex differences in social support scores. The results indicated that while overall levels of social support were high, significant demographic disparities existed between men and women in the sample. Women were more likely to be unmarried, have lower incomes, and utilize alternative transportation sources compared to men. Regarding social support metrics, there were no statistically significant differences between sexes in emotional or instrumental support. However, men reported significantly lower levels of informational support than women, with mean PROMIS t-scores of 53.19 for men versus 56.24 for women (t=-2.74; p=0.006). The findings suggest that interventions aimed at supporting older adults through driving reduction should prioritize providing informational social support to men, as they appear to lack access to advice and suggestions regarding life decisions compared to their female counterparts. The authors note that while the study identifies associations, its cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions, and the sample’s higher socioeconomic status limits generalizability. Nevertheless, the results highlight the importance of tailoring support programs to address gender-specific needs, particularly in helping older men navigate the loss of independence and mobility associated with reduced driving.

Key finding

Among older LongROAD drivers who reduced driving in the past year, men report significantly lower perceived informational social support than women, while emotional and instrumental support do not differ by sex.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 544

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_aaa_foundation on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• sex gender