Research Spotlight: Aches and Pains: How Do They Affect Transitions from Driving? 

Anne E. Barrett, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology at Florida State University, co-authored the article “Aches and Pains: How Do They Affect Transitions from Driving?” in the journal Innovation in Aging with Cherish Michael (Ph.D. Sociology ’23), Jessica Noblit (Ph.D. Sociology ‘23), and Hope Mimbs (Ph.D. Student, Sociology). Below is a summary of the article written by doctoral student Martin Gandur (Ph.D. Political Science ’25).    

In “Aches and Pains: How Do They Affect Transitions from Driving?” Anne E. Barrett, Ph.D., and co-authors examine the effect of chronic pain on transitions from driving. The authors hypothesize that pain influences driving-related outcomes. Their statistical analyses show that experiencing more pain that interferes with driving is associated with worse self-rated driving ability, more frequent self-regulated driving, and greater planning for driving retirement. However, pain is not associated with driving frequency or with anticipating that driving retirement will occur in the next five years. 

Anne E. Barrett, Ph.D.
Anne E. Barrett, Ph.D.

Dr. Barrett and her co-authors’ findings indicate that greater pain may hasten the planning and transition away from driving. According to the authors, these patterns suggest that pain may increase people’s risk of isolation and other negative outcomes that can follow driving retirement. However, pain’s effect on planning may reduce these risks. By focusing on transitioning from driving, this article reveals a largely overlooked benefit of reducing pain: extending people’s years behind the wheel. Moreover, the authors’ findings are relevant for both transportation and health care policies. 

Chronic pain affects more than one in four middle-aged to older adults and can have important consequences for everyday behaviors such as driving. Research studying the connection between pain and driving has not explored driving-related behaviors and self-assessments that may signal the start of a transition from driving. The article by Dr. Barrett and her co-authors contributes to this literature by focusing on several experiences related to transitioning from driving. 

The authors employ data from an online survey of 3,832 Floridians aged 50 and older conducted between December 2020 and April 2021 (funded by the Florida Department of Transportation). The statistical analyses examine the association between pain’s interference with driving and five driving-related outcomes: self-rated driving ability, driving frequency, self-regulated driving, perceived nearness of driving retirement, and planning for driving retirement. 

The authors contend that future research should explore how pain influences individuals’ specific driving retirement plans, study different experiences of pain, and collect data for underrepresented populations, such as individuals of lower socioeconomic status and those living in rural areas. 

To learn more about the FSU Department of Sociology, visit coss.fsu.edu/sociology

APA Citation:  

Anne E Barrett, Cherish Michael, Jessica Noblitt, Hope Mimbs, Aches and Pains: How Do They Affect Transitions From Driving?, Innovation in Aging, Volume 7, Issue 1, 2023, igac074, https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igac074