Kaumātua rely heavily on private cars for transport, yet when they can no longer drive, this dependence may present barriers to daily living, health, and wellbeing, according to findings from the New Zealand Prospective Older Adult Transport and Health Study. The study included 1181 drivers aged 65 96 years, 15% of whom were Māori, and used computer-assisted structured telephone interviews to gather information on transport modes used in the previous three months. Similarly to non-Māori, kaumātua relied heavily on private cars for transport, but fewer walked or used public transport compared with non-Māori. Only 4% of kaumātua compared with 11% of non-Māori had made plans for not driving. This study provides data that can be used to support improvements within the transport sector to reduce inequities, the study authors concluded.
