Self-reported health conditions and related driving reduction in older drivers.
Deepika Kandasamy, Marian E Betz, Carolyn DiGuiseppi and 6 others
PMID 30380951WHAT IT FOUND
Musculoskeletal conditions were the most common self-reported reason older drivers reduced driving in the past year.
Women were more likely than men to report reducing driving because of health problems. Ask about joint pain, arthritis, and hip or knee replacement.
Key findings
0111.3% of participants reported decreasing driving for any health condition in the past year.
02Among those who reduced driving, musculoskeletal diagnoses were the most common self-reported cause, affecting 28.5%.
03Women were more likely than men to report reducing driving due to a health condition in the past year, 14.2% versus 8.0%.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study only asked about driving reduction due to health conditions, not other driving self-regulation or whether the reduction was recommended by someone or self-chosen. It did not record when health conditions began or how soon after diagnosis driving was reduced. Participants may have reduced driving for reasons not captured, and some treated or resolved conditions may have been counted. Nearly half reported cataracts, but only 2% limited driving because of them, possibly because surgery restored vision. Among participants who reduced driving, 39.5% did not specify which condition caused it, and co-occurring conditions may have been double-counted. The sample was predominantly active, healthy older adults without cognitive problems at enrollment, so it may not represent people with more severe or untreated conditions. All health conditions and driving reduction were self-reported.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that a specific diagnosis caused driving reduction or that treating it will restore driving. The study is cross-sectional and self-reported, did not capture when conditions began, and many participants who reduced driving did not identify the condition.