Self-Reported Health and Driving Cessation in Community-Dwelling Older Drivers

Cessation of driving has significant negative consequences for older adults, but there is no simple, reliable screening tool to predict stopping of driving. This paper aims to determine if self-rated health (SRH) is an independent predictor of driving cessation among older adults. Data on SRH (poor, fair, good, very good, or excellent), medical diagnoses, physical performance, visual acuity, driving status, and other relevant covariates were collected from 649 community-dwelling older Alabama drivers during in-home interviews. Using multivariable logistic regression analyses, the authors estimated the association of SRH with driving cessation 2 yrs later. Results indicate participants had a mean age of 74 yrs; 43% were women, 41% African American, and 48% rural. Overall, 36% reported poor to fair SRH at baseline, and 11% had stopped driving after 2 yrs. Compared to 8% of drivers with good to excellent SRH, 17% with poor to fair health stopped driving (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09–3.41; p =.025). Lower Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores (adjusted OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78–0.95; p =.001) and older age (adjusted OR, 1.06/year; 95% CI, 1.01–1.11; p =.010) were also associated with driving cessation. Receiver operating characteristics curves documented similar predictive discrimination for SRH (0.72), the SPPB (0.70), and a count of comorbidities based on the Charlson Comorbidity Index (0.73).

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/10795006
• Authors:
  • Sims, Richard V
  • Ahmed, Ali
  • Sawyer, Patricia
  • Allman, Richard M
• Publication Date: 2007-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 789-793
• Serial:
  • Journals of Gerontology. Series A: Biological and Medical Sciences
  • Volume: 62
  • Issue Number: 7
  • Publisher: Gerontological Society of America
  • ISSN: 1079-5006
  • EISSN: 1758-535X
  • Serial URL: http://biomedgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged drivers; Automobile driving; Behavior; Driving cessation; High risk drivers; Impaired drivers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Self reported data
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01082407
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 18 2007 11:28AM