Driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms in cataract patients awaiting surgery: a cross-sectional study
Background: Cataract is an extremely common visual condition of ageing. Evidence suggests that visual impairment influences driving patterns and self-regulatory behavior among older drivers. However, little is known about the psychological effects of driver self-regulation among older drivers. There...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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BioMed Central
2013
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35209 |
| _version_ | 1848754433810235392 |
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| author | Fraser, Michelle Meuleners, Lynn Ng, J. Morlet, N. |
| author_facet | Fraser, Michelle Meuleners, Lynn Ng, J. Morlet, N. |
| author_sort | Fraser, Michelle |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Background: Cataract is an extremely common visual condition of ageing. Evidence suggests that visual impairment influences driving patterns and self-regulatory behavior among older drivers. However, little is known about the psychological effects of driver self-regulation among older drivers. Therefore, this study aimed to describe driver self-regulation practices among older bilateral cataract patients and to determine the association between self-regulation and depressive symptoms. Methods: Ninety-nine older drivers with bilateral cataract were assessed the week before first eye cataract surgery. Driver self-regulation was measured via the Driving Habits Questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Visual, demographic and cognitive data were also collected. Differences between self-regulators and non self-regulators were described and linear regression modeling used to determine the association between driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms score. Results: Among cataract patients, 48% reported self-regulating their driving to avoid at least one challenging situation. The situations most commonly avoided were driving at night (40%), on the freeway (12%), in the rain (9%) and parallel parking (8%). Self-regulators had significantly poorer contrast sensitivity in their worse eye than non self-regulators (p = 0.027). Driver self-regulation was significantly associated with increased depressive symptoms after controlling for potential confounding factors (p = 0.002).Conclusions: Driver self-regulation was associated with increased depressive symptoms among cataract patients. Further research should investigate this association among the general older population. Self-regulation programs aimed at older drivers may need to incorporate mental health elements to counteract unintended psychological effects. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:40:20Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-35209 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:40:20Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | BioMed Central |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-352092017-09-13T15:32:02Z Driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms in cataract patients awaiting surgery: a cross-sectional study Fraser, Michelle Meuleners, Lynn Ng, J. Morlet, N. self-regulation cataract older drivers depression Background: Cataract is an extremely common visual condition of ageing. Evidence suggests that visual impairment influences driving patterns and self-regulatory behavior among older drivers. However, little is known about the psychological effects of driver self-regulation among older drivers. Therefore, this study aimed to describe driver self-regulation practices among older bilateral cataract patients and to determine the association between self-regulation and depressive symptoms. Methods: Ninety-nine older drivers with bilateral cataract were assessed the week before first eye cataract surgery. Driver self-regulation was measured via the Driving Habits Questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Visual, demographic and cognitive data were also collected. Differences between self-regulators and non self-regulators were described and linear regression modeling used to determine the association between driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms score. Results: Among cataract patients, 48% reported self-regulating their driving to avoid at least one challenging situation. The situations most commonly avoided were driving at night (40%), on the freeway (12%), in the rain (9%) and parallel parking (8%). Self-regulators had significantly poorer contrast sensitivity in their worse eye than non self-regulators (p = 0.027). Driver self-regulation was significantly associated with increased depressive symptoms after controlling for potential confounding factors (p = 0.002).Conclusions: Driver self-regulation was associated with increased depressive symptoms among cataract patients. Further research should investigate this association among the general older population. Self-regulation programs aimed at older drivers may need to incorporate mental health elements to counteract unintended psychological effects. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35209 10.1186/1471-2415-13-45 BioMed Central fulltext |
| spellingShingle | self-regulation cataract older drivers depression Fraser, Michelle Meuleners, Lynn Ng, J. Morlet, N. Driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms in cataract patients awaiting surgery: a cross-sectional study |
| title | Driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms in cataract patients awaiting surgery: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms in cataract patients awaiting surgery: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms in cataract patients awaiting surgery: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms in cataract patients awaiting surgery: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms in cataract patients awaiting surgery: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms in cataract patients awaiting surgery: a cross-sectional study |
| topic | self-regulation cataract older drivers depression |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35209 |