Daily trip making during the COVID-19 pandemic: A national survey of older adults in the United States

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic greatly reduced the daily mobility of individuals across the world, older adults were especially impacted due to their higher risk for serious complications from the virus and the importance of mobility independence and autonomy as central to maintaining a high quality of life, reducing social isolation, and increasing overall health and well-being. This article presents findings from a probabilitybased panel survey of older adults across the United States collected during the pandemic. It seeks to answer two key research questions: How did daily trip making during the pandemic vary among older adults? And, during the pandemic, how did daily trip making impact individual perceptions of mobility and quality of life? The results show that while daily mobility declined during the pandemic, quality of life and mobility satisfaction remained relatively high for most. Furthermore, by examining seven social determinants of older adult trip making, it was found that individuals most consistently vulnerable to reduced trips and declines in quality of life and mobility satisfaction were females, persons with disabilities, and persons whose primary mode of transportation is car passenger. These patterns are consistent with pre-pandemic older adult mobility, indicating that the impacts of the pandemic exacerbated existing trends, rather than creating new ones. The survey findings contribute to broader understandings of older adult mobility during the pandemic, and help suggest what subpopulations of older adults were particularly vulnerable during the pandemic, and, how individuals coped during a period of major disruption in daily out-of-home mobility.

Automated summary

COVID-19 pandemic greatly reduced the daily mobility of older adults, particularly females, persons with disabilities, and those who rely on car passenger as their primary mode of transportation. Although daily mobility declined, most older adults maintained relatively high quality of life and mobility satisfaction during the pandemic.