TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2016//
TI  - Geographic elevation, car driving, and depression among elderly residents in rural areas: the Shimane CoHRE study
JO  - International journal of environmental research and public health
A1  - Hamano, Tsuyoshi
A1  - Takeda, Miwako
A1  - Sundquist, Kristina
A1  - Nabika, Toru
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - 13
IS  - 5
N2  - Given that public transportation networks are often worse in rural areas than in urban areas, it is difficult for elderly non-drivers to access health-promoting goods, services, and resources related to mental health. Moreover, geographical location, assessed by elevation, could modify this association in a rural area. The aim of this study was to test whether the association between car driving (being a driver or not) and depression, as measured by the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), varied by elevation. Data were collected from a cross-sectional study conducted in the town of Ohnan located in a rural area of Japan. After excluding participants with missing data (n = 26), 876 participants were analysed in this study. After adjustment for potential confounders, being a non-driver had a significantly higher odds ratio of SDS (40+) among elderly people living at a low elevation (odds ratio = 2.17, 95% confidence interval = 1.28-3.71). However, similar findings were not observed among elderly people living at a high elevation. These results suggest that car driving importantly predicts depression in elderly people living at relatively low elevations in rural areas.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1661-7827
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13070738
ID  - ref1
ER  -