Associations of Self-Care Health Behaviors With Driving Cessation Among Older Drivers

Abstract

Older adults are at risk of driving cessation as they age, which can result in negative health outcomes including loss of independence. This study aimed to investigate the associations of self-care health behaviors with the risk of driving cessation. Demographics, health and driving characteristics were captured from healthcare systems in Denver, CO, San Diego, CA, Ann Arbor, MI, Baltimore, MD and Cooperstown, NY for 2,990 adults at baseline then followed from July 2015 to January 2021 via in-person assessments and questionnaires. The follow-up accumulated a total of 7,348 person-years and 46 driving cessations, yielding an incidence rate of 0.63 per 100 person-years. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the relationship between self-care behaviors and driving cessation, stratified by gender, and accounting for multiple failure events and clustering by study site. Ability to participate in social roles and activities was associated with an 8% reduction in the risk of driving cessation [adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 0.92; 95% CI: 0.89, 0.94]. Increased participation in social activities and relationships is associated with driving longevity in older adults and should be targeted for interventions to maintain driving mobility.