Handgrip strength in older adults and driving aptitude.
Maria Helena Lenardt, Tânia Maria Lourenço, Susanne Elero Betiolli and 3 others
PMID 36449971WHAT IT FOUND
Handgrip strength did not predict whether older drivers passed or failed their fitness exams.
Low education and poor cognitive scores were the real predictors of unfitness. Do not use grip strength alone to judge driving safety in this group.
Key findings
01Reduced handgrip strength was not significantly associated with being unfit to drive in the multivariate model.
02Low education level and poor performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination were significant predictors of being considered unfit to drive.
03The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship between grip strength and driving ability.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The cross-sectional design prevents establishing cause-and-effect relationships. Handgrip strength measurements were taken by traffic clinic staff who may not have used precise instruments or standardized protocols recommended by the American Society of Hand Therapists. The study population had a higher education level than typical community or institutional samples, which may limit generalizability. The definition of 'unfit' relied on traffic clinic evaluations, which may not capture all nuances of safe driving.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Fundação Araucária - Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Paraná, Brazil. No other conflicts of interest are reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that weak handgrip strength means an older adult is unsafe to drive. This study found no association between reduced grip strength and failing driving fitness tests, suggesting that strength alone is not a valid screening tool for driving aptitude in this population.