Advisory Committee Chair
Karlene Ball
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2024
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
As the average lifespan increases, older adults are remaining independent into older ages than before. The ability to drive a vehicle is an essential part of daily living that helps older adults maintain independence. Cognitive training, specifically speed of processing training (SOPT), is an intervention that has consistently shown to benefit older adult’s driving abilities and driving behaviors. This dissertation examined the longitudinal association between cognitive training and primary driving location on crash risk across 20 years (Paper 1), investigated the effects of cognitive training and dosage on driving mobility across 10 years (Paper 2), and explored social determinants of health (SDOH) and race as moderators of the association between processing speed and driving mobility across 10 years (Paper 3). Findings from this dissertation revealed that SOPT was associated with reduced crash risk among participants who were at-risk for future mobility declines, SOPT was associated with less driving mobility, and being Black and having poorer SDOH moderated the relationship between processing speed and driving mobility. The details of each study, as well as practical implications are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Wheeler, Katie, "Exploring The Associations Between Cognitive Training, Social Determinants Of Health, And Driving Behaviors: A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Active Study" (2024). All ETDs from UAB. 3872.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/3872