Aches and Pains: How Do They Affect Transitions From Driving?

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Pain Management
• Transportation Safety

Background:

• Chronic pain affects over 25% of middle-aged and older adults, impacting daily activities like driving.
• Existing research on chronic pain and driving is limited, often using patient samples and overlooking self-assessment of driving behaviors.
• Driving cessation can lead to isolation and other negative outcomes in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine the association between pain interference with driving and driving-related outcomes in older adults.
• Investigate how chronic pain influences self-rated driving ability, driving frequency, self-regulation, and retirement planning.
• Understand the role of pain in the transition from driving for individuals aged 50 and older.

Main Methods:

• Online survey of 3,832 Floridians aged 50+ (December 2020-April 2021).
• Multivariate regression analyses were used to assess relationships.
• Key outcomes included self-rated driving ability, driving frequency, self-regulated driving, and driving retirement planning.

Main Results:

• Increased pain interfering with driving correlated with poorer self-rated driving ability.
• More pain was associated with more frequent self-regulated driving behaviors.
• Greater pain interference was linked to increased planning for driving retirement.

Conclusions:

• Chronic pain may accelerate the transition from driving and the planning associated with it.
• While pain can increase risks of isolation post-retirement, proactive planning may mitigate these effects.
• Reducing pain could be a key strategy to extend driving longevity and maintain independence in older adults.