Just as expected? Older adults' aging expectations are associated with subjective cognition.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the relationship between older adults' expectations regarding aging and subjective cognition. Specifically, we examined whether the three domains of aging expectations (physical health, mental health, and cognitive function) were associated with two aspects of subjective cognition: current subjective cognition and subjective cognitive decline (SCD). METHOD: An online survey was conducted among U.S. adults aged 65-90 (N = 581; Mage=71.4, SD ± 4.81; 51% female). Measures included the 12-item Expectations Regarding Aging scale, the 8-item PROMIS Cognitive Abilities scale (current subjective cognition), and the 12-item Everyday Cognition scale (SCD). We used generalized linear models to examine associations between overall aging expectations and its three domains with current subjective cognition ratings and SCD. RESULTS: We found that more positive expectations regarding physical health, mental health, and cognitive function in aging were associated with higher ratings of current subjective cognition as well as lower SCD. The magnitude of effects across aging expectations domains were similar for both aspects of subjective cognition. CONCLUSION: Aging expectations are malleable and influence an individual's perceptions of their cognitive functioning. Modifying older adults' aging expectations could support healthier cognitive aging through increased awareness and accurate assumptions about the aging process.

Self-perceptions of aging, physical activity, and depressive symptoms in older community residents with varied neighborhood walkability in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Prior research has identified the mediating effect of physical activity in the relationship between self-perceptions of aging and physical health. However, this impact on mental health is unknown, and the influence of environmental contexts proposed by ecological models in this regard remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of physical activity in the relationship between self-perceptions of aging and depressive symptoms in older adults, and compare the impact across four levels of neighborhood walkability. METHODS: A sample of 1,055 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 or above was obtained through random-digit-dialing computer-assisted telephone interviewing. The individual's neighborhood walkability was calculated using Walk Score®, and categorized into four levels: car-dependent, somewhat walkable, very walkable, and walker's paradise. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was employed. RESULTS: We found that more positive self-perceptions of aging were associated with fewer depressive symptoms and a mediation effect of physical activity in this relationship. Among the four levels of neighborhood walkability, the mediation effect of physical activity was only statistically significant in the lowest level (car-dependent). The findings supported our hypotheses regarding the mediating effect of self-perceptions of aging on depressive symptoms via physical activity. Neighborhood walkability might potentially influence the mediating role of physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes key areas on intervention programs and policy formulation to promote mental health in older adults.

The role of social network diversity in self-perceptions of aging in later life.

While the link between self-perceptions of aging (SPA) and healthy aging is well established, less is known about the association between social factors and SPA. The present study investigated whether higher social network diversity is associated with more positive and less negative SPA and whether this association is moderated by age. We examined cross-sectional data from the German Ageing Survey of 2008 (DEAS; N = 6205, 40-85 years, 49.5% female). Network diversity was assessed as the number of social roles in an individual's network (such as spouse, friend and colleague). Three domains of SPA were measured using the Aging-Related Cognitions Scale (AgeCog): ongoing development (positive SPA), social losses (negative SPA) and physical losses (negative SPA). We conducted multiple linear regression models and tested for a moderator effect of age using an interaction term of age and network diversity. Results showed that at higher ages older adults with higher network diversity reported more positive SPA related to ongoing development and more negative SPA related to social losses than those with less diverse networks, indicating that age has a moderating effect. We found no association between network diversity and negative SPA related to physical losses and no indication that age was relevant to this relationship. The present study adds to evidence on the role of social networks in SPA. Our findings suggest that in certain SPA domains and depending on age, network diversity is related to both more positive and more negative SPA, which emphasizes the importance of considering domain-specific SPA.

Development, feasibility, and acceptability of a process based intervention to decrease internalized ageism.

A lifetime of exposure to ageism may be internalized in older adults, and these ageist beliefs that are directed inwards can have severe consequences. However, research on reducing internalized ageism is scarce. To address this, we designed and implemented a six-week online process-based intervention to reduce internalized ageism and to assess its feasibility. The intervention utilized a process-based therapy approach targeting psychological, behavioral, and physiological pathways through which internalized ageism negatively impacts health, as specified by stereotype embodiment theory. Intervention components included education, acceptance and commitment therapy techniques, and attributional retraining. A total of 81 older adult participants participated in the feasibility study. Most participants rated each session and the overall program as very useful after each session (average program usefulness rating of 4.54/5). Participants also attributed a wide range of novel behaviors to this intervention and stated that they felt it changed their perspectives on ageism and/or internalized ageism. Results from this study provide a promising foundation from which to advance research on interventions that address internalized ageism - a problem that has severe consequences on the health and well-being of growing numbers of older adults globally.

Reimagine Aging: A Process-Based Intervention to Decrease Internalized Ageism.

OBJECTIVES: Exposure to ageism may be internalized in older adults, and this can have severe consequences. However, little research has addressed reducing internalized ageism. Thus, Reimagine Aging, a 6-week process-based intervention to reduce internalized ageism, was designed and implemented, using education, acceptance and commitment therapy, and attributional retraining to target theoretically based mechanisms of change. METHODS: Seventy-two older adults (M = 70.4 years, SD = 6.4 years) participated in Reimagine Aging, consented to participate in this robust single-sample pilot study, and provided valid data. Participants completed questionnaires prior to, immediately following, and 2 months after the intervention. RESULTS: Participants' self-perceptions of aging (ηp2=0.37, p < .001) and perceptions of older adults (ηp2=0.27, p < .001) became significantly more positive, associated with large effect sizes. Furthermore, these positive gains were mediated by increases in psychological flexibility, mindfulness, and perceived control. DISCUSSION: This study provides initial support for this process-based intervention targeting a reduction of internalized ageism. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: This program has the potential to reduce the negative impact internalized ageism has on the health of older adults. Furthermore, it provides novel insights into intervention targets and tools that may be useful in achieving this reduction.

Successful Aging and Subjective Aging: Toward a Framework to Research a Neglected Connection.

Research related to subjective aging, which describes how individuals perceive, interpret and evaluate their own aging, has substantially grown in the past two decades. Evidence from longitudinal studies shows that subjective aging predicts health, quality of life, and functioning in later life. However, the existing literature on successful aging has mostly neglected the role of subjective aging. This paper proposes an extended framework of successful aging linking subjective aging conceptually and empirically to Rowe and Kahn's (1997) three original key criteria of successful aging (i.e., avoiding disease and disability, maintaining high cognitive and physical function, and engagement with life). A particular focus is placed on subjective aging as an antecedent of successful aging. A review of the empirical subjective aging literature shows that subjective aging concepts consistently predict all three of Rowe and Kahn's criteria of successful aging. Mechanisms underlying these relations are discussed at three levels, namely psychological, behavioral, and physiological pathways. The proposed addition also takes into consideration the interconnections between subjective aging and successful aging throughout the lifespan and across historical time. Finally, we discuss the importance of facilitating successful aging through systematic interventions that support more positive views of aging at the individual and societal level.

Self-perceptions of aging: A conceptual and empirical overview.

This article defines self-perceptions of aging (SPA) as individuals' perceptions, expectations, and experiences regarding their own process of growing old(er). As such, SPA are considered a critically important element of the aging self. Furthermore, the authors present a heuristic model that positions adults' SPA within a lifespan developmental and cultural-societal context and elaborates distal and proximal antecedents, process modes, and developmental outcomes. The remainder of the article summarizes recent empirical findings and discusses future challenges and directions.

Internalization of negative societal views on old age into self-perceptions of aging: exploring factors associated with self-directed ageism.

Introduction: A growing number of research has provided evidence for the negative impact of ageism on older people's health and well-being. Among the three different manifestations of ageism, namely institutional, interpersonal and self-directed ageism, significant ageism-health associations have been proved to be strongest for self-directed ageism. This supports stereotype embodiment theory, which maintains that lifetime exposure to negative age stereotypes leads to the internalization of ageism as a form of negative attitudes towards own aging and it adversely affects health and well-being in old age. However, little is known about how people internalize negative age stereotypes held in the society into self-perceptions of aging. Methods: This study aimed to explore how socially shared beliefs about old age are internalized into self-perceptions of aging focusing on uncovering factors related to self-directed ageism. Data were derived from the survey that had examined citizen's attitudes towards old age and aging in Finland. Multinominal logistic regression models were performed to examine the association of sociodemographic and contextual factors with different combinations of societal age stereotypes and two indicators of self-perceptions of aging: subjective views on old age and personal feelings of own old age. Results: The analyses showed that being female, attaining tertiary education, evaluating poor quality of life and awareness of institutional old age discrimination were related to holding negative views on aging towards both society and oneself. Discussion: The findings from univariate and multivariate models suggest that it is not age per se, but structural and cultural circumstances shaped with growing older that turns socially shared negative age stereotypes into negative self-perceptions of aging. Even though the study addressed situations in one country, the findings have an important implication for other rapidly aging societies regarding how social and cultural contexts are closely linked to the formation of self-directed ageism.

The Relationship between Subjective Aging and Cognition in Elderly People: A Systematic Review.

There is a growing body of evidence on the effects of subjective aging on health, well-being and quality of life. This review aims to synthesize findings about the link between subjective aging and cognition and cognitive decline. Furthermore, it provides an examination of variation sources such as subjective aging construct, cognitive domains, measures employed, age and moderator variables. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, PsychInfo and Web of Science, as well as grey literature searches in Google Scholar, OpenGrey, WorldCat and NDLTD, which resulted in 59 reports being included. Subjective aging is a relevant construct in the explanation and prediction of cognitive aging and cognitive decline in elderly adults. More positive views about own aging and self-perceptions of aging, as well as a younger subjective age, were consistently related to better cognition and lower risk of cognitive decline. However, there were differences due to subjective aging subdimensions and cognitive domains, as well as an effect of age. Additionally, there were concerns about the content validity of some measures employed, such as the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale for subjective aging and the Mini Mental State Examination for global cognition. Further studies should employ longitudinal designs with a process-based approach to cognition and precise subjective aging measures.

Cognitive trajectories: exploring the predictive role of subjective cognitive decline and awareness of age-related changes for cognitive functioning.

Background: We investigated whether aspects of subjective cognitive aging, including awareness of age-related gains and losses in cognition (AARC-gains, AARC-losses) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD), predict change in objective cognitive function as measured by verbal reasoning (VR) and working memory (WM). Methods: We used longitudinal data for 3,299 cognitively healthy UK residents aged 65+. We used data on AARC and SCD assessed in 2019, and cognitive tasks assessed in 2019, 2020, and 2021. We used latent growth curve modeling, latent class growth analysis, and growth mixture modeling. Results: For VR, multiple growth trajectories were not evident. Mean VR at baseline was 37.45; this remained stable over time. Higher AARC-gains in cognition (mean intercept = -0.23; 95%CI: -0.31; -0.16), higher AARC-losses in cognition (mean intercept = -0.37; 95%CI: -0.46; -0.28), and lower SCD (mean intercept = 2.92; 95%CI: 2.58; 3.58) were associated with poorer VR at baseline. A three-class growth mixture model-class varying best represented trajectories of WM. In Class 1 (N = 182) mean WM at baseline was 31.20; this decreased by 2.48 points each year. In Class 2 (N = 119) mean WM at baseline was 23.12; this increased by 3.28 points each year. In Class 3 (N = 2,998) mean WM at baseline was 30.11; and it remained stable. Higher AARC-gains (Odds Ratio = 1.08; 95%CI: 1.03; 1.14) and AARC-losses (Odds Ratio = 1.10; 95%CI: 1.04; 1.16) in cognition predicted greater likelihood of being in Class 2 than Class 3. Conclusion: Although both higher AARC-gains and AARC-losses indicate poorer concurrent cognition, higher AARC-gains may be a resource that facilitates future cognitive improvement.

Testing Bidirectionality in Associations of Awareness of Age-Related Gains and Losses With Physical, Mental, and Cognitive Functioning Across 1 Year: The Role of Age.

OBJECTIVES: The bidirectionality between self-perceptions of aging and health-related outcomes may depend on age group. Therefore, we tested such bidirectionality among individuals in late midlife (50-64 years), young-old age (65-74 years), and old-old age (75+ years), taking advantage of the construct of Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) and its 2-dimensionality in terms of AARC-gains and AARC-losses. Various conceptualizations of physical, mental, and cognitive functioning were used as outcomes. METHODS: Data from 2 measurement occasions (2019 and 2020) from the UK PROTECT study for individuals in late midlife (N = 2,385), young-old age (N = 2,430), and old-old age (N = 539) were used. Data on self-reported functional difficulties, depression, anxiety, and performance on four computerized cognitive tasks (i.e., verbal reasoning, paired associate learning, self-ordered search, and digit span) providing a score for verbal reasoning and a score for working memory were analyzed using cross-lagged panel models. RESULTS: Across all 3 age groups, the bidirectional associations of AARC-gains with indicators of functioning were not significant, whereas higher AARC-losses significantly predicted slightly greater functional difficulties and higher depression and anxiety levels. Higher AARC-losses predicted slightly poorer Verbal Reasoning only in old-old age and poorer Working Memory predicted slightly higher AARC-losses only in young-old age. The remaining associations of AARC-losses with cognitive tasks were not statistically significant. DISCUSSION: In accordance with previous research targeting other indicators of self-perceptions of aging, this study supported a stronger impact of AARC-losses on indicators of physical functioning and mental health than vice versa from midlife to old-old age.

Comorbid Depressive and Anxiety Symptomatology in Older Adults: The Role of Aging Self-Stereotypes, Loneliness, and Feelings of Guilt Associated with Self-Perception as a Burden.

The main objective of this study was to analyze the differences between older adults' symptom profiles (subclinical, anxiety, depressive, and comorbid) in negative aging self-stereotypes, loneliness, and feelings of guilt associated with self-perception as a burden. Participants were 310 community-dwelling people aged 60 years and over. The sample was grouped into four symptom profiles of older adults: anxiety, depressive, comorbid anxiety-depression, and subclinical symptoms. We carried out multinomial logistic regression analyses to analyze the role of assessed variables in the explanation of the four symptom profiles. Older adults who reported a comorbid symptomatology presented higher negative aging self-stereotypes and feelings of loneliness than the other three profiles. Compared with the subclinical profile, older adults who reported clinical symptomatology (anxiety, depressive, and comorbid profile) presented higher feelings of guilt associated with self-perception as a burden. The findings of this study suggest potential associations that may contribute to understanding and treating comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms in older adults.

Sexual satisfaction and aging satisfaction among middle-aged and older adults. Evidence from a nationally representative study.

AIM: To examine the association between sexual satisfaction and aging satisfaction (also stratified by sex and age group). METHODS: We used data from the German Ageing Survey (year 2008, n = 5,418 individuals). This is an established, nationally representative sample of individuals living in private households aged 40 years and over in Germany. The widely used "Attitudes Toward Own Ageing" (ATOA) subscale of the established Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale was used to quantify aging satisfaction. It was adjusted for several covariates in regression analysis. RESULTS: After adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related covariates, multiple linear regressions still showed that higher sexual satisfaction was associated with higher aging satisfaction in the total sample (ß = 0.06, p < .001). This association was also present among both sexes (men, ß = 0.07, p < .001; women, ß = 0.06, p < .001) as well as among both age groups (middle-aged adults: ß = 0.07, p < .001; older adults: ß = 0.06, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Even after adjusting for several covariates, there is a clear link between sexual satisfaction and aging satisfaction. Such knowledge may assist in maintaining satisfaction with aging and may thus contribute to successful aging.

The Impact of Caregiving History on Later-Life Self-Perceptions of Aging.

OBJECTIVES: Theories suggest that self-perceptions of aging (SPA) reflect structural and cultural ageism together with an individual's personal life experiences. We examine the impact of an individual's history of informal caregiving on their SPA. METHODS: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N = 8,372, age range 50-102 years), we investigated caregiving history as a determinant of later-life SPA. HRS participants provided reports of up to 5 episodes of caregiving, the life-course timing of each episode (start/end year), and their relationship with the care recipients. SPA was measured by the HRS Attitudes Toward Own Aging Scale. We conducted linear regressions to examine associations between specific caregiving histories and later-life SPA. Models included controls for current sociodemographic and health status. RESULTS: Individuals who were ever a caregiver reported more negative SPA than noncaregivers. Variations in the impact of histories of caregiving were also revealed. Specifically, compared to people who had cared for adult(s) only, HRS participants who cared for both a child with special needs and an adult reported more negative SPA later in life. DISCUSSION: The study provides insight into potential life-course precursors of SPA and highlights the importance of conceptualizing caregiving history as a complex life experience that might affect an individual's SPA later in life.

The Risks of Experiencing Severe Loneliness Across Middle and Late Adulthood.

OBJECTIVES: From a theoretical point of view, older adults may not necessarily face a greater risk of becoming lonely than middle-aged adults but are more likely at a disadvantage in fighting loneliness. Therefore, in this study, we differentiate between the risk of becoming lonely and the risk of remaining lonely. METHODS: A large longitudinal data set representative of the German noninstitutionalized population from 40 to 85 years of age (N = 15,408; 49% female participants) was used in the analysis. Lagged logistic regression models were estimated to investigate the effect of earlier experiences of severe loneliness on the risk of being lonely after three years across middle age and late adulthood. Individual differences in health, views on aging, and social activities were taken into account to explore their role in age differences in the risk of remaining lonely. RESULTS: The analysis revealed marginal age differences in the risk of becoming lonely but a marked age gradient regarding the risk of remaining lonely. Lonely older adults who were older than 75 years of age were more likely to remain lonely after three years than lonely middle-aged adults. Controlling for individual differences in health, views on aging as social loss, and social activities accounted for this age difference. DISCUSSION: Interventions against loneliness may prioritize older age groups because losses in capacities, shifts in motivations, and a degraded opportunity structure render it increasingly less likely that older adults leave a state of loneliness on their own accord.

Bidirectional Associations of Awareness of Age-Related Change and Attitudes Toward Own Aging With Social Media Use.

OBJECTIVES: We test whether higher awareness of age-related gains (AARC-gains), lower awareness of age-related losses (AARC-losses), and more positive attitudes toward own aging (ATOA) are cross-sectionally related to more frequent social media use. We also investigate the strength and direction of the associations of AARC-gains, AARC-losses, and ATOA with social media use over 1 year, from before to after the onset of the coronavirus 2019 pandemic. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from 8,320 individuals (mean age = 65.95 years; standard deviation = 7.01) and longitudinal data from a subsample of 4,454 individuals participating in the UK PROTECT study in 2019 and 2020. We used ordered regression models, linear regression models, and tests of interaction. Models were adjusted for age, sex, education, and employment. RESULTS: Higher AARC-gains and more positive ATOA, but not AARC-losses, were cross-sectionally associated with more frequent social media use. Social media use became more frequent at follow-up. In the longitudinal models controlling for baseline levels of the outcome variable, more frequent baseline social media use predicted increases in AARC-gains, whereas baseline AARC-gains did not significantly predict the frequency of social media use at follow-up. Baseline frequency of social media use did not significantly predict AARC-losses, nor ATOA at follow-up, whereas lower levels of AARC-losses and more positive ATOA predicted more frequent social media use at follow-up. DISCUSSION: Although effect sizes were small, decreasing negative views on aging may help increase the engagement of middle-aged and older people with social media. At the same time, fostering social media use could promote positive self-perceptions of aging.

Changes in perceived ageism during the COVID-19 pandemic: impact on quality of life and mental well-being among Dutch adults aged 55 and older.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic brought ageism to the forefront of public discourse. Negative ageism incurs more negative self-perceptions of aging, which affects physical and mental functioning. Whether negative ageism as perceived and experienced by older adults has worsened as the pandemic lingered, and how such changes impact quality of life (QoL) and mental well-being (MWB), remain urgent questions.Method: In a sample of adults aged 55 or older (n = 500), we aimed to address this by administering the Perceived Ageism Questionnaire twice during the pandemic (T1: between October 2020 and May 2021; T2: on average 45 wk after T1).Results: Higher levels of perceived negative ageism were associated with lower QoL and MWB, at least partially through its unfavorable effects on self-perceptions of aging, even after controlling for ageism experiences in the preceding year (at T2, corrected for T1). Furthermore, we found that perceived negative ageism increased from T1 to T2, which had negative implications for QoL/MWB. Opposite effects were found for perceived positive ageism, although less consistently.Conclusion: These patterns reveal that ageism as perceived and experienced by adults of 55 or older became stronger and more negative throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which had detrimental implications for individuals' QoL and MWB. These disconcerting findings emphasize the importance of combatting negative ageism in our society.

Association between positive control in self-perceptions of aging and motoric cognitive risk syndrome among Chinese community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Self-perceptions of aging (SPA) are important psychosocial factors that lead to a wide range of outcomes including dementia. However, the relationships between positive SPA and motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) which is a predementia syndrome are still unknown. This study aimed to reveal the associations of positive control and aging awareness of SPA with the risk of MCR and its components. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was conducted among 1137 Chinese community-dwelling older adults. Positive control and aging awareness were defined by two dimensions of SPA (Positive control and Timeline chronic). MCR was determined according to definition. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the associations. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of MCR was 11.5% (mean age = 71.62 ± 5.22). After adjusting for depression, anxiety, and cognitive function, positive control was associated with reduced risk of MCR (OR = 0.624, 95% CI 0.402-0.969, P = 0.036), subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) (OR = 0.687, 95% CI 0.492-0.959, P = 0.027), and gait speed (GS) (OR = 0.377, 95% CI 0.197-0.720, P = 0.003), respectively. Aging awareness was merely related to increased risk of MCR (OR = 1.386, 95% CI 1.062-1.810, P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the crucial associations of positive control and aging awareness with MCR and its components. Our results emphasize that positive belief in control and adaptive aging awareness might be promising targets for preventing MCR.

Positive Self-perceptions of Aging Increase Physical Resilience to Facilitate Social Re-engagement of Older Adults Who Fall: Analysis Based on Health and Retirement Study Data.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether self-perceptions of aging (SPAs) predict physical resilience after a fall and whether SPA and physical resilience affect subsequent social engagement in older adults with a fall. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: General community. PARTICIPANTS: Older adults who reported a fall within 2 years after baseline data collection (N=1707, mean age 72.9 years, 60.9% women). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Physical resilience indicates the ability to resist or recover from functional decline from a stressor. The change in frailty status from directly after the fall to up to 2 years of follow-up was used to generate 4 physical resilience phenotypes. Social engagement was dichotomized based on the presence at 1 of the 5 social activities at least once a month. The 8-item Attitudes Toward Own Aging Scale was used to assess SPA at baseline. Multinomial logistic regression and nonlinear mediation analysis were used. RESULTS: Positive prefall SPA predicted more resilient phenotypes after a fall. Both positive SPA and physical resilience affected subsequent social engagement. Physical resilience partially mediated the association between SPA and social re-engagement (mediated percentage of 14.5%, P=.004). This mediation effect was fully driven by those with previous falls. CONCLUSION: Positive SPA promotes physical resilience in older adults with a fall, both of which affect subsequent social engagement. Physical resilience partially mediated the effect of SPA on social engagement but only for previous fallers. Multidimensional recovery incorporating psychological, physiological, and social aspects should be stressed in the rehabilitation of older adults who fall.

Aches and Pains: How Do They Affect Transitions From Driving?

Background and Objectives: Chronic pain, which affects more than 1 in 4 middle-aged and older adults, can have profound implications for everyday behaviors like driving. The literature examining it, however, is relatively small and is limited by its reliance on patient populations and its lack of attention to some driving-related behaviors and self-assessments that may signal the start of a transition from driving. Research Design and Methods: We address these issues using data from an online survey of Floridians aged 50 and older that was conducted between December 2020 and April 2021 and funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (n = 3,832). We ran multivariate regression analyses to examine the association between pain's interference with driving and 5 driving-related outcomes: self-rated driving ability, driving frequency, self-regulated driving, perceived nearness of driving retirement, and planning for driving retirement. Results: Results indicate 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. It is not associated with driving frequency or with anticipating that driving retirement will occur in the next 5 years. Discussion and Implications: These findings indicate that greater pain may hasten the transition from driving, along with planning for it. 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, our study reveals a largely overlooked benefit of reducing pain-It could extend people's years behind the wheel.