Older adults’ immobility: disentangling choice and constraint

Our research challenges the prevailing notion that immobility only occurs in exceptional circumstances. Our work shows instead a close link with individuals’ activity levels and constraints on their schedules. We find that retirees exhibit higher immobility levels than workers, influenced by factors such as poor health, old age, low income, lack of access to a car, or rural residency. Analyzing data from last French National Transport Survey, we use structural equation models to examine the impact of various factors on immobility. Driving and walking difficulties are significant contributors to immobility, with age being a primary explanatory factor. However, living in dense urban areas tends to reduce immobility levels across household categories. Difficulties with public transport, as such, do not trigger immobility, but they are entangled with walking difficulties. Implications for public action include targeting vulnerable populations, considering age-specific interventions for reducing car dependency, and approaching policies aimed at curbing older adults’ car use cautiously. Implementing universal design measures to enhance physical accessibility also helps to make mobility smoother and decrease perceived walking difficulties. Finally, this paper underlines the entanglement of mobility and social isolation, emphasizing the need for qualitative and quantitative research in this area.