Determinants of driving among oldest-old Australian women

ABSTRACT

This study examined predictors of driving among oldest-old Australian women in their late 80s in accordance with the World Health Organization’s healthy aging framework. The study used data from the 1921–26 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, wave-6 (n = 4025). The result of the multivariable logistic regression showed providing care, living alone, volunteering, living in rural/outer regional Australia, having higher educational attainment, and social interactions were associated with driving. The findings indicate driving should not be dismissed based on age alone. Policymakers need to also consider social roles, driving environment and context with the goals of healthy aging.

KEYWORDS:

• Driving
• healthy aging
• older driver
• mobility
• older women

Acknowledgments

The research on which this article is based was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, led by The University of Newcastle and The University of Queensland jointly. The authors are thankful to the Australian Government Department of Health for funding and to the study participants for their voluntary participation. Researchers in the Faculty of Health at the University of Newcastle are also members of the Hunter Medical Research Institute. This research was also supported by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (project number CE170100005). We also would like to thank Stephanie Lithgow for her boundless support in editing English language of this manuscript.

The findings, recommendations, and conclusions listed in this paper are those of the authors only and not an official position of the Government of Australia Department of Health. The authors have no financial disclosures of this paper.

Data availability statement

The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health data is available for approved researchers, available from: www.ALSWH.org.au

Conflicts of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.