Transportation Patterns of Adults With Travel-Limiting Disabilities in Rural and Urban America.
Andrew Myers, Catherine Ipsen, Krys Standley
PMID 36189043WHAT IT FOUND
Rural adults with travel-limiting disabilities who cannot drive take significantly fewer trips than their urban counterparts, especially for social and work activities.
Drivers in both settings report similar travel frequencies. This suggests rural non-drivers face distinct barriers to community participation that urban residents do not.
Key findings
01Working-age rural non-drivers reported significantly fewer trips overall, and fewer social and work trips, compared to urban non-drivers.
02Rural non-drivers relied heavily on riding as passengers in personal vehicles, whereas urban non-drivers were significantly more likely to walk/roll or use public transportation.
03Living in a rural area was associated with lower odds of giving up driving compared to living in an urban area, after controlling for other factors.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The survey only captures disabilities that limit travel, potentially excluding individuals with disabilities who have adequate supports and do not experience travel limitations. The data does not include trips that were not taken or difficulties experienced during travel, which may underestimate the barriers faced by non-drivers. The survey does not ask about vehicle modifications, which are critical for many people with disabilities who continue to drive. The 'gave up driving' variable is not mutually exclusive with driving on the survey day, as some individuals who reported giving up driving still drove occasionally. The cross-sectional design prevents determining causality between rural residence and lower odds of giving up driving.
Declared interests
The authors declare no commercial or financial conflicts of interest. The work was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that rural patients are generally more mobile or healthier than urban patients. The finding that rural residents are less likely to give up driving likely reflects a necessity to maintain access to services in areas with poor public transportation, rather than better functional capacity or health status.