Driving is a job, a hobby and a form of transport that enables occupation. This research investigated the impact of the inability to drive due to epilepsy on community mobility and occupational participation, and compared both men and women's perceptions of the impact of driving cessation on romantic relationships and family involvement.
Method:
By means of an internet-based survey, data were collected concerning community mobility, personal impact of driving cessation, previous driving practices, epilepsy and demographics. Statistical analysis was performed on quantitative data and content analysis was used with responses to open questions. The survey received 95 eligible participants.
Findings:
Participants used public transport more than the general population; however, when unable to drive, being driving by friends or relatives was the main mode of transport. As a result, people experienced restricted access to the community, had to give up activities, had a reduced quality of life and a lowered self-esteem. Significantly more men than women felt that driving cessation had a negative impact on romantic relationships (p = 0.024) yet men and women did not differ significantly in their feelings about the impact of driving cessation on family involvement (p = 0.58).
Conclusion:
Independent access to the community is often dependent on the ability to drive.
AzadNByszewskiAAmosSMolnarFJ (2002) A survey of the impact of driving cessation on older drivers. Geriatrics Today, 5(4), 170–71.
3.
BauerMJRottundaSAdlerG (2003) Older women and driving cessation. Qualitative Social Work, 2(3), 309–25.
4.
BautistaREWludykaP (2006) Driving prevalence and factors associated with driving among patients with epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behaviour, 9(4), 625–31.
5.
Central Statistics Office (2011) Statistical yearbook of Ireland 2011. Dublin: Government Publications.
6.
Department of Transport (2006) Progressing rural public transport in Ireland. A discussion paper. Dublin: Fitzpatrick associates. Available at: http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/7903_0.pdf Accessed 01.05.13.
7.
DickeyWMorrowJ (1993) Epilepsy and driving: Attitudes and practices among patients attending a seizure clinic. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 86(10), 566–68.
8.
DickeyWMorrowJ (1993) Epilepsy and driving: Attitudes and practices among patients attending a seizure clinic. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 86(10), 566–68.
DrazkowskiJFNeimanESSirvenJIMcAbeeGNNoeKH (2010) Frequency of physician counseling and attitudes toward driving motor vehicles in people with epilepsy: Comparing a mandatory-reporting with a voluntary-reporting state. Epilepsy & Behaviour, 19(1), 52–54.
11.
ElliottJOLongL (2008) Perceived risk, resources, and perceptions concerning driving and epilepsy: A patient perspective. Epilepsy & Behavior, 13(2), 381–86.
12.
FisherRSVickreyBGGibsonPHermannBPenovichPSchererAWalkerS (2000) The impact of epilepsy from the patient's perspective I. Descriptions and subjective perceptions. Epilepsy Research, 41(1), 39–51.
13.
HineJScottJ (2000) Seamless, accessible travel: Users' views of the public transport journey and interchange. Transport Policy, 7(3), 217–26.
KimS (2011) Assessing mobility in an aging society: Personal and built environment factors associated with older people's subjective transportation deficiency in the US. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 14(5), 422–29.
17.
LiddleJCarlsonGMcKennaK (2004) Using a matrix in life transition research. Qualitative Health Research, 14(10), 1396–417.
18.
LiddleJMcKennaKBartlettH (2007) Improving outcomes for older retired drivers: The UQDRIVE program. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 54(4), 303–06.
19.
LiddleJMcKennaK (2003) Older drivers and driving cessation. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66(3), 125–32.
20.
LinehanCKerrMPWalshPNBradyGKelleherCDelantyNDawsonFGlynnM (2010) Examining the prevalence of epilepsy and delivery of epilepsy care in Ireland. Epilepsia, 51(5), 845–52.
21.
MarottoliRAde LeonCFMGlassTAWilliamsCSCooneyLMJrBerkmanLF (2000) Consequences of driving cessation: Decreased out-of-home activity levels. The Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 55B(6), 334–40.
22.
PierceD (2001) Untangling occupation and activity. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 55(2), 138–46.
23.
PoleCLampardR (2002) Practical social investigation: Qualitative and quantitative methods in social research. London: Prentice Hall.
24.
RaglandDRSatarianoWAMacLeodKE (2005) Driving cessation and increased depressive symptoms. The Journals of Gerontology: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 60A(3), 399–403.
25.
RajnaPSólyomAMezofiLVargyaiEKozmaLTariskafP (2003) Car drivers with epilepsy (Pilot Hungarian EPIMED Database Evaluation). Epilepsy & Behavior, 4(6), 761–63.
SareGRawnsleyMStonemanADuncanS (2007) Men with epilepsy — the lost tribe? Results of a nationwide survey of men with epilepsy living in the UK. Seizure: The journal of the British Epilepsy Association, 16(5), 384–96.
29.
ScannellB (2011) When driving takes a back seat to epilepsy: The meaning of driving for young adults with epilepsy. (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Limerick, Ireland.
30.
ShorvonSD (2010) Handbook of epilepsy treatment. 3rd ed. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
31.
SpinneyJELScottDMNewboldKB (2009) Transport mobility benefits and quality of life: A time-use perspective of elderly Canadians. Transport Policy, 16(1), 1–11.
32.
StavWB (2008) Review of the evidence related to older adult community mobility and driver licensure policies. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62(2), 149–58.
33.
SteultjensEMJDekkerJBouterLMJellemaSBakkerEBvan den EndeCHM (2004) Occupational therapy for community dwelling elderly people: A systematic review. Age and Ageing, 33(5), 453–60.
34.
TalbotABruceICunninghamCJCoenRFLawlorBACoakleyDWalshJBO'NeillD (2005) Driving cessation in patients attending a memory clinic. Age and Ageing, 34(4), 363–68.
35.
UnsworthC (1999) Living with epilepsy: Safety during home, leisure and work activities. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 46(3), 89–98.
36.
VarleyJDelantyNNormandCFitzsimonsM (2011) The health care journeys experienced by people with epilepsy in Ireland: What are the implications for future service reform and development?Epilepsy & Behavior, 20(2), 299–307.
37.
VickM (2003) Danger on the roads! Masculinity, the car, and safety. Youth Studies Australia, 22(1), 32–37.
38.
VrkljanBHPolgarJM (2007) Linking occupational participation and occupational identity: An exploratory study of the transition from driving to driving cessation in older adulthood. Journal of Occupational Science, 14(1), 30–39.
WilcockA (1993) A theory of the human need for occupation. Journal of Occupational Science, 1(1), 17–24.
41.
WhiteheadBJHowieLLovellRK (2006) Older people's experience of driving licence cancellation: A phenomenological study. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 53(3), 173–80.
42.
WoodsLPriestHRobertsP (2002) An overview of three different approaches to the interpretation of qualitative data. Part 2: Practical illustrations. Nurse Researcher, 10(1), 43–51.
43.
WrightKB (2005) Researching internet-based populations: Advantages and disadvantages of online survey research, online questionnaire authoring software packages, and web survey services. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 10(3), 11. Available at: http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue3/wright.html Accessed 04.05.13.
