Driving Requirements for Older People in Malaysia:  A thematic analysis

Nurani Nordin; Mohamad Ghazali Masuri; Akehsan Dahlan; Ninik Nurhidayah

doi:10.21834/e-bpj.v9i27.5607

Authors

Nurani Nordin Centre for Occupational Therapy Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Puncak Alam Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
Mohamad Ghazali Masuri Centre for Occupational Therapy Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Puncak Alam Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
Akehsan Dahlan Centre for Occupational Therapy Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Puncak Alam Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
Ninik Nurhidayah Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Polytechnics, Surakarta, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v9i27.5607

Keywords:

Driving, Older people, Senior driver, Thematic analysis

Abstract

Driving has been recognised as the primary form of personal transportation across the adult lifespan. This study explores the requirements needed for older people to drive in Malaysia. In-depth interviews were conducted with six participants. The interviews were digitally audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using the six steps of thematic analysis. Three main themes emerged from the data: "Good health," "Driving-specific skills," and "Positive driving style." To conclude, this study conveys a crucial subject matter to policymakers and healthcare professionals in highlighting the requirement older people need to drive safely and thus improve our country's elderly workforce.

References

Ahn, J. Y., Ryoo, H. W., Park, J. B., Kim, J. K., Lee, M. J., Lee, D. E., Seo, K. S., Kim, Y. J., & Moon, S. (2019). Comparison of traffic collision victims. between older and younger drivers in South Korea: Epidemiologic characteristics, risk factors and types of collisions. PLoS ONE, 14(4), 1–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214205

Alonso, A. C., Peterson, M. D., Busse, A. L., Jacob-Filho, W., Borges, M. T. A., Serra, M. M., Luna, N. M. S., Marchetti, P. H., & Greve, J. M. D. A. (2016). Muscle strength, postural balance, and cognition are associated with braking time during driving in older adults. Experimental Gerontology, 85, 13–17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2016.09.006

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). (2020). Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process. In American Journal of Occupational Therapy: Vol. 74 (Suppl. (4th ed.).

Anstey, K. J., Wood, J., Lord, S., & Walker, J. G. (2005). Cognitive, sensory and physical factors enabling driving safety in older adults. Clinical Psychology Review, 25(1), 45–65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2004.07.008

Bernstein, J. P. K., Mattek, N., Dorociak, K. E., Beattie, Z. T., Kaye, J. A., Ferguson, J. E., & Hughes, A. M. (2022). Age Predicts Older Adults’ Driving Self-Regulation but Not Dangerous Driving Behaviors after Controlling for Executive Function. Gerontology, 68(1), 98–105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000515497

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology, Qualitative Research in Psychology. Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling, 3(2), 77–101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Busetto, L., Wick, W., & Gumbinger, C. (2020). How to use and assess qualitative research methods. Neurological Research and Practice, 2(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-020-00059-z

Cammarata, M., Mueller, A. S., Harris, J., & Vrkljan, B. (2017). The Role of the Occupational Therapist in Driver Rehabilitation After Stroke. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 35(1), 20–33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02703181.2016.1277443

Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2017). Thematic analysis. Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(3), 297–298. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1262613

Creswel, J. W. (2009). Research design : qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. In SAGE Publications (3rd Edition). SAGE Publications.

Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2020). Department of Statistics Malaysia Press Release: Statistics on Causes of Death, Malaysia, 2020. In Department of Statistics Malaysia (Issue November).

Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2021a). Department of Statistics Malaysia Press Release: Current Population Estimates, Malaysia, 2021. In Department of Statistics Malaysia (Issue July).

Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2021b). Department of Statistics Malaysia Press Release: Environment Statistics 2021 (Issue April).

Donorfio, L. K. M., D’Ambrosio, L. A., Coughlin, J. F., & Mohyde, M. (2008). Health, safety, self-regulation and the older driver: It’s not just a matter of age. Journal of Safety Research, 39(6), 555–561. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2008.09.003

Dworkin, S. L. (2012). Sample size policy for qualitative studies using in-depth interviews. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 41(6), 1319–1320. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-012-0016-6

Francis, J. J., Johnston, M., Robertson, C., Glidewell, L., Entwistle, V., Eccles, M. P., & Grimshaw, J. M. (2010). What is an adequate sample size? Operationalising data saturation for theory-based interview studies. Psychology and Health, 25(10), 1229–1245. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08870440903194015

Jeong, S. H., Kim, E. Y., Lee, S. J., Choi, W. J., Oh, C., Sung, H. J., & Kim, J. (2023). Health Status and Activity Discomfort among Elderly Drivers: Reality of Health Awareness. Healthcare (Switzerland), 11(4), 1–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11040563

Kaminski, T. W., & Pitney, W. A. (2004). Strategies for Establishing Trustworthiness in Qualitative Research. Athletic Therapy Today, 9(1), 26-28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/att.9.1.26

Karjanto, J., Yusof, N. M., Terken, J., Hassan, M. Z., Delbressine, F., Van Huysduynen, H. H., & Rauterberg, M. (2016). The identification of Malaysian driving styles using the multidimensional driving style inventory. MATEC Web of Conferences, 90, 1–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20179001004

Karthaus, M., & Falkenstein, M. (2016). Functional changes and driving performance in older drivers: Assessment and interventions. Geriatrics (Switzerland), 1(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics1020012

Korstjens, I., & Moser, A. (2018). Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 4: Trustworthiness and publishing. European Journal of General Practice, 24(1), 120–124. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2017.1375092

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. In SAGE. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(85)90062-8

Marshall, S. C. (2008). The role of reduced fitness to drive due to medical impairments in explaining crashes involving older drivers. Traffic Injury Prevention, 9(4), 291-298. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15389580801895244

Masuri, M. G., Dahlan, A., Danis, A., & Isa, K. A. M. (2016). Attitude Towards Safe Driving Scale (ASDS) As a Future Predictor in Determining a Young Adult Quality Of Life: Part I. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 234, 390–397 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.10.256

Michon, J. A. (1985). Critical View of Driver Behavior Models: What Do We Know, What Should We Do? New York: Plenum Press, 485–524. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2173-6_19

Molnar, L. J., Eby, D. W., Charlton, J. L., Langford, J., Koppel, S., Marshall, S., & Man-Son-Hing, M. (2013). Driving avoidance by older adults: Is it always self-regulation? Accident Analysis and Prevention, 57, 96–104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2013.04.010

Pitta, L. S. R., Quintas, J. L., Trindade, I. O. A., Belchior, P., Gameiro, K. da S. D., Gomes, C. M., Nóbrega, O. T., & Camargos, E. F. (2021). Older drivers are at increased risk of fatal crash involvement: Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 95, 1–5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2021.104414

Rolison, J. J., Regev, S., Moutari, S., & Feeney, A. (2018). What are the factors that contribute to road accidents? An assessment of law enforcement views, ordinary drivers’ opinions, and road accident records. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 115(February), 11–24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2018.02.025

Rosli, N., Ambak, K., Shahidan, N. N., Sukor, N. S. A., & Yei, S. O. S. (2020). Driving Behaviour of Elderly Drivers in Malaysia. International Journal of Integrated Engineering, 12(8), 268–277. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30880/ijie.2020.12.08.026

Selander, H., Bolin, I., & Falkmer, T. (2012). Does automatic transmission improve driving behavior in older drivers? Gerontology, 58(2), 181–187. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000329769

Shen, Y., Zahoor, O., Tan, X., Usama, M., & Brijs, T. (2020). Assessing fitness-to-drive among older drivers: A comparative analysis of potential alternatives to on-road driving test. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(23), 1 – 18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17238886

Siren, A., & Meng, A. (2013). Older drivers’ self-assessed driving skills, driving-related stress and self-regulation in traffic. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 17, 88–97. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2012.10.004

Staplin, L., Lococo, K. H., Mastromatto, T., Sifrit, K. J., & Trazzera, K. M. (2017). Can your older patient drive safely? Am J Nurs, 11(9), 34–43. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000524519.45105.8d

Starks, H., & Trinidad, S. B. (2007). Choose your method: A comparison of phenomenology, discourse analysis, and grounded theory. Qualitative Health Research, 17(10), 1372–1380. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732307307031

Sun, X., Jiang, Y., Burnett, G., & Wang, Q. (2021). Investigating Driving Styles: A Validation Study of Multidimensional Driving Styles with British and Chinese Drivers. Advances in Civil Engineering, 2021, 1–11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8831094

Skyving, M., Forsman, Å., Dukic Willstrand, T., Laflamme, L., & Möller, J. (2021). Medical impairment and road traffic crashes among older drivers in Sweden – A national, population-based, case-control study. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 163(September), 1-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2021.106434

Toups, R., Chirles, T. J., Ehsani, J. P., Michael, J. P., Bernstein, J. P. K., Calamia, M., Parsons, T. D., Carr, D. B., & Keller, J. N. (2022). Driving Performance in Older Adults: Current Measures, Findings, and Implications for Roadway Safety. Innovation in Aging, 6(1), 1–13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igab051

United Nations. (2019). World Population Ageing 2019: Highlight. In Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, United Nations.

Unsworth, C. A., Lovell, R. K., Terrington, N. S., & Thomas, S. A. (2005). Review of tests contributing to the occupational therapy off-road driver assessment. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 52(1), 57–74. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1630.2005.00456.x