Effects of Older Adult Driving Resumption on All-Cause Mortality

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Driving cessation is associated with adverse social and health outcomes including increased mortality risk. Some former drivers resume driving. Do resumed drivers have a different mortality risk compared to former drivers or continued drivers? Method We analyzed National Health and Aging Trends Study (2011–2015) data of community-dwelling self-responding ever drivers (n = 6,189) with weighted stratified life tables and discrete time logistic regression models to characterize mortality risk by driving status (continued, resumed, former), adjusting for relevant sociodemographic and health variables. Results Overall, 14% (n = 844) of participants died and 52% (n = 3,209) completed Round 5. Former drivers had the highest mortality (25%), followed by resumed (9%) and continued (6%) drivers. Former drivers had 2.4 times the adjusted odds of mortality compared with resumed drivers (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.51, 3.83), with no difference between continued and resumed drivers (aOR = 1.22; 95% CI = 0.74, 1.99). Discussion Those who resumed driving had better survival than those who did not. Practice implications include driver rehabilitation and retraining to safely promote and prolong driving.