Biopsychosocial risk factors for driving cessation: findings from the Health and Retirement Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify social, psychological, and biomedical risk factors for current and future driving cessation in older adults.

METHOD: Data from six waves (1998-2008) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were pooled. Participants aged 65 and above were included in the study (N = 17,349).

RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression models to identify risk factors for current and future driving cessation were consistent (age, gender, education, race, marital status, income, cognitive function, limits in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, vision, health, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, and hip fracture). Only one variable, falls, was associated with future driving cessation (odds ratio [OR] = 0.92; confidence interval [CI] = [0.85, 1.0]), but not current driving cessation.

DISCUSSION: Older age, female gender, and minority race were risk factors for current and future cessation. Adults with arthritis were more likely to keep driving compared with those without arthritis.