109 Impact of Transport Mode on Psychosocial Wellbeing in Community-dwelling Adults Aged ≥50 years: Results from TILDA

Background Older adults with access to a car report increased social participation, better quality of life and better mental health. Existing research often compares the car to public transport, however we hypothesise that individuals who drive themselves or are driven by spouses have better outcomes compared to those driven by family or friends or taking public transport. This study examined how differences in transport mode affect psychosocial wellbeing in community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 years in Ireland. Methods Data were collected from 8092 adults during wave 1 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a nationally representative cohort study. Participants indicated their most frequent mode of transport: car, car (driven by partner/spouse), car (driven by family/friends/taxi), public transport. Regression analysis was used to examine associations between transport mode with depressive symptoms, quality of life and loneliness. Results 89.8% of adults travel most frequently by car with 72.2% driving themselves. Driving was independently associated with lower depressive symptoms (beta=-1.9, 95% CI: -2.59, -1.30, p<0.001) and loneliness (beta =-0.45, 95% CI: -0.70, -0.21, p<0.001) and better quality of life OR=4.11, 95% CI: 3.13, 5.08, p<0.001) compared to relying on lifts from family/friends/taxi. Being driven by a spouse/partner or taking public transport were also associated with more positive effects although to a lesser extent. Interaction analysis showed that men who regularly travelled by public transport had higher loneliness scores than women (beta=0.67, 95% CI: 0.16, 1.18, p<0.05). Conclusion Most adults aged ≥50 years in Ireland rely on the car for transport. Driving, being driven by a spouse/partner or taking public transport are associated with better psychosocial wellbeing compared to being driven by others, highlighting the importance or independent travel, whether by car or public transport. Opportunities to support this should be considered when planning the future transport needs of ageing populations.