Active aging is critical to combating social isolation and loneliness. In addition, scientific studies find that even small increases in activity reduce the risk of disease in the elderly. One method that can be used to achieve these goals is discounted and free transportation cards for seniors; however, the number of studies measuring the effect of these cards on isolation and loneliness is very limited. This article fills that gap. The paper consists of two parts. The first part is based on big data analysis. The daily transportation data provided by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality will investigate how discounted (60-65 years old) and free (65 and over) transportation cards affect the public transportation frequency of individuals aged 50 and over between 2019-2022. The analysis using this big data has a tremendous original value. In addition, a representative survey conducted for those aged 50 and over in Istanbul. Thanks to this survey, the relationship between discounted and free transportation cards and social isolation and loneliness will be measured. To conduct the analyses, we will employ regression discontinuity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and logistic regression methods. The Regression Discontinuity analyses show that free transportation cards increase both daily and yearly public transportation; however, we could not find similar effect for discounted cards. The findings from our logistic regression analysis methods also show that there is an inverse relationship between loneliness and public transportation usage among elderly. Our results suggest that free public transportation cards might be effective way to fight with loneliness.

Authors:
Murat Mercan, Yildiz Technical University, Turkey
Oykum Yigit, Yildiz Technical University, Turkey
Hulya Yurekli, Yildiz Technical University, Turkey
Ilker Aslan, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey

About the Presenter(s)
Murat A. Mercan's research focuses on labor economics and health economics. In addition, currently he is leading a national project about social isolation and loneliness among the elderly.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/murat-a-mercan-9a4885239/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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