Driving cessation and physical frailty in community-dwelling older adults: A longitudinal study

Physical frailty is a critical health problem that can increase the risk of adverse health outcomes in older adults. Driving cessation has been associated with negative outcomes such as disability. However, the relationship between physical frailty and driving cessation remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to examine whether driving cessation is associated with physical frailty transition in community-dwelling older adults.

This prospective cohort study was performed in a community setting in Japan. Participants were 2934 older Japanese adults, classified into two groups according to their driving status: a driving group (drivers at baseline who continued driving at a 4-year follow-up) and a driving cessation group (drivers at baseline who ceased driving by 4-year follow-up). We examined the association between physical frailty transition and driving cessation over a 4-year period, using logistic regression analysis before and after imputation.

In total, 3.9% of community-dwelling older adults had ceased driving by the 4-year follow-up. Rates for physical frailty transition in the driving and driving cessation groups were 4.6% and 17.1%, respectively (P < 0.001). In fully adjusted logistic regression analysis, when compared with driving, driving cessation independently affected physical frailty transition. The results were similar after multiple imputations.

Our findings indicated driving cessation was an independent risk factor associated with physical frailty transition in older adults. As physical frailty in older adults can contribute to negative health outcomes, including increased disability and mortality, preventing frailty has important public health implications. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 1047-1052.