Driving Cessation and Social Isolation in Older Adults
Home > Senior Driving Issues > Driving Cessation and Social Isolation in Older Adults
Driving Cessation and Social Isolation in Older Adults
Weidi Qin, MSW, MPH, Xiaoling Xiang, PhD, MSW, Harry Taylor, PhD, MSW, MPH
First Published August 20, 2019 Research Article
https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264319870400
Article information
Objective: This study investigated the impact of driving cessation on social isolation in older adults.
Method: Data were obtained from Rounds 1 through 6 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study. The study sample consisted of 6,916 Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 or above who were eligible drivers at baseline. Mixed-effects ordered logistic regression and piecewise regression were used to examine the impact of driving cessation on social isolation.
Results:In multivariable mixed-effects ordered logistic regression, past-year nondrivers had a twofold increase in the odds of being in a higher social isolation category (odds ratio [OR] = 2.1, p < .001). Piecewise regregression analysis showed that social isolation scores increased by 0.08 points (p = .024) following an incident of driving cessation.
Discussion: Driving cessation is associated with a higher risk of social isolation in older adults. Interventions to reduce social isolation among older adults may improve public health by targeting older adults who have recently stopped driving.