Lifestyle activities to protect against depressive symptoms after driving cessation among older adults: A longitudinal study

Aim

To investigate whether lifestyle activities reduce the risk of depressive symptoms among older adults who have ceased driving.

Methods

This longitudinal, community-based study included 1654 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥60 years, excluding individuals with baseline depressive symptoms or without driver's licenses. Participants recruited from Takahama City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, between September 2015 and February 2019 were categorized into driving and driving-cessation groups at baseline. Follow-up postal surveys were conducted over an average of 30.7 (standard deviation: 2.4) months. Depressive symptoms at 30 months were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale-15. Lifestyle activities were assessed using the 36-item Lifestyle Activities Questionnaire (LAQ), comprising 12 items each for physical, cognitive and social activities. Logistic regression analysis for each activity and the total LAQ score adjusted for potential covariates identified activities that had a protective role against depressive symptom development.

Results

During the follow-up period, 213 participants (13.6%) from the driving group (n = 1564) and 16 participants (17.8%) from the driving-cessation group (n = 90) developed depressive symptoms. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for covariates indicated that a higher total LAQ score was associated with depressive symptoms. Engagement in all activities reduced the risk of depressive symptoms in the driving group, whereas only engagement in cognitive activities reduced the risk in the driving-cessation group.

Conclusions

High engagement in lifestyle activities was associated with a decreased risk of developing depressive symptoms. Hence, a conducive environment and support system are required to enhance engagement in lifestyle activities before older adults cease driving. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2025; 25: 1316–1322.