Presentation Schedule
Trajectories of Transport Disadvantage Among Older Americans: The Impact of Driving Cessation, Social Isolation, and Neighborhood Environment (104386)
Session Chair: Yong Yang
Thursday, 26 March 2026 16:00
Session: Session 4
Room: Room 708 (7F)
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Background: Maintaining daily transportation becomes increasingly challenging with age due to various barriers. Transport disadvantage—defined as inadequate access to transportation via car, public transit, or other modes—remains understudied in older adulthood. Little is known about how it evolves over time, whether it accelerates or stabilizes at different aging stages, and how trajectories vary among older adults.
Methods: This study examines changes in transport disadvantage from 2011 to 2024 using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative panel study of U.S. Medicare enrollees aged 65 and older. Group-based trajectory models and logistic regressions were applied to identify distinct trajectories and examine the influence of personal characteristics (e.g., demographics, health status, driving cessation, and social connections) and neighborhood conditions (e.g., deprivation, safety, walkability, public transit access).
Results: We identify three trajectories: (1) a majority with no transport disadvantage, (2) a group with low but stable or increasing disadvantage, and (3) a group with moderate to high disadvantage that declines over time. Transport disadvantage increases with age, with a sharp decline following driving cessation. Older adults living socially isolated, in high-deprivation or poor-transit neighborhoods are more likely to experience worsening transport disadvantage, with effects amplified among those with disabilities, lower socioeconomic status, or declining health.
Conclusion: Addressing disparities in transport access requires targeted interventions that consider both individual vulnerabilities and neighborhood factors to support mobility and well-being in aging populations.
Authors:
Yong Yang, University of Memphis, United States
About the Presenter(s)
Yong Yang, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Memphis, USA.
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