Abstract
Ensuring mobility after driving cessation is an important public health issue to prevent functional limitations, but this issue is still not fully understood in rural settings. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that being a non-driver and living alone is associated with a greater risk of sarcopenia among the community-dwelling elderly in rural Japanese areas. This study was conducted in 2018 and data from 738 participants were used. Sarcopenia was assessed by measuring walking speed, handgrip strength, and skeletal muscle mass. Car driving status and living arrangement were collected using self-reported questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Four groups were set to determine combined conditions of car driving status and living arrangement. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and a 95% confidence interval of sarcopenia after adjustment for confounding factors. Compared with the reference group (driver and living with others), the OR of sarcopenia was significantly higher in the non-driver and living alone group (OR = 2.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–4.80). Our findings suggest that the consideration of both driving status and living arrangement are important in the formulation of public health strategies to prevent sarcopenia in rural Japanese areas.
Highlights
Driving cessation in older adults is associated with a variety of health outcomes [1].Previous cohort studies have revealed an association between driving cessation and an increased risk of functional limitations [2,3]
In the null model (Model 1), non-drivers were more likely to be diagnosed with sarcopenia than those who were drivers (OR = 2.89; 95% CI, 1.80–4.62)
The adjusted model (Model 4), including living arrangement as the explanatory variable, showed no significant associations of living arrangement with sarcopenia, while among four groups in the adjusted model (Model 5), participants who were in the non-driver and living alone group had a significantly higher
Summary
Driving cessation in older adults is associated with a variety of health outcomes [1]. Previous cohort studies have revealed an association between driving cessation and an increased risk of functional limitations [2,3]. Given that driving cessation leads to a decline in out-of-home activity levels, developing a range of acceptable transportation options is necessary to maintain the independence of older adults [4]. Car driving has become the primary means of transportation, since the public transport network is often more inconvenient than in urban areas [5]. In Japan, drivers aged 75 years or older have been required to have cognitive screenings when they renew their license since June. Older drivers are required to voluntarily return their licenses if they
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