Affiliation:
1. Department of Sociology, Florida State University , Tallahassee, Florida , USA
2. Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy, Florida State University , Tallahassee, Florida , USA
Abstract
AbstractBackground and ObjectivesChronic pain, which affects more than 1 in 4 middle-aged and older adults, can have profound implications for everyday behaviors like driving. The literature examining it, however, is relatively small and is limited by its reliance on patient populations and its lack of attention to some driving-related behaviors and self-assessments that may signal the start of a transition from driving.Research Design and MethodsWe address these issues using data from an online survey of Floridians aged 50 and older that was conducted between December 2020 and April 2021 and funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (n = 3,832). We ran multivariate regression analyses to examine the association between pain’s interference with driving and 5 driving-related outcomes: self-rated driving ability, driving frequency, self-regulated driving, perceived nearness of driving retirement, and planning for driving retirement.ResultsResults indicate that experiencing more pain that interferes with driving is associated with worse self-rated driving ability, more frequent self-regulated driving, and greater planning for driving retirement. It is not associated with driving frequency or with anticipating that driving retirement will occur in the next 5 years.Discussion and ImplicationsThese findings indicate that greater pain may hasten the transition from driving, along with planning for it. These patterns suggest that pain may increase people’s risk of isolation and other negative outcomes that can follow driving retirement; however, pain’s effect on planning may reduce these risks. By focusing on transitioning from driving, our study reveals a largely overlooked benefit of reducing pain—It could extend people’s years behind the wheel.
Funder
Florida Department of Transportation
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Life-span and Life-course Studies,Health Professions (miscellaneous),Health (social science)
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献
1. Using golf carts as a transportation mode: Who does it?;Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives;2024-01