The moderating effects of perceived transportation access on health and social connectedness for people with disabilities

TL;DR

This study shows that reliable transportation access strengthens the link between better health and less loneliness for people with disabilities.

Contribution

The study introduces transportation access as a moderator in the relationship between self-rated health and social connectedness for people with disabilities.

Findings

Transportation access moderates the relationship between self-rated health and loneliness for people with disabilities.

The effect of transportation access is stronger on loneliness than on social activity.

Improved transportation access could enhance health and social outcomes for people with disabilities.

Abstract

Transportation is an important resource for people to fully participate in their communities. People with disabilities who have access to reliable transportation report better social connectedness outcomes than those with less access. However, research has not yet examined how transportation access and other factors associated with social connectedness, such as self-rated health, influence social connectedness.

The purpose of this study was to examine how access to transportation affects the association between self-rated health and social connectedness for people with disabilities.

Moderated regressions were conducted using cross-sectional data from waves 2–4 of the National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD) to examine the moderating effects of perceived transportation access on self-rated health and two dimensions of social connectedness: loneliness and social activity. The analysis focused on working-aged adults (18–64) with disabilities in the United States.

Transportation access moderated the relationship between self-rated health and loneliness but not social activity. Among people with disabilities who had access to reliable transportation, the magnitude of change between self-rated health and loneliness was stronger compared to those without reliable transportation.

These findings highlight how transportation access plays a role in the relationship between health and social connectedness for people with disabilities. Policies that improve transportation access are needed to support greater social connectedness and better health outcomes for people with disabilities.

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