Who’s in the driver seat?: raising the voices of younger women stroke survivors

Driving restriction has far reaching negative impacts for people who have experienced a stroke. However, current understandings of driving restriction and community mobility after stroke are informed by experiences and perspectives of older men. Younger women (aged 55 years and younger) are facing increased risks for stroke and have unique needs related to life stage and socio-cultural gender roles. Despite these unique risks and needs, women are underrepresented in stroke and driving research, and health organizations are calling for more representation of women in cardiovascular research. To understand the experiences and perspectives of younger women related to driving restriction and their subsequent participation in valued activities and roles after a stroke. We conducted a qualitative descriptive interview study with eight younger women (aged 55 years and younger) who had experienced a stroke. We used reflexive thematic analysis to identify themes in the data. Driving restriction after stroke among younger women is a significant disruption as driving is instrumental in enabling participation in valued activities, social interaction, and supportive roles. Women experienced significant psychological pain from driving restriction, compounded by the sudden and unexpected onset at their age. The women sought out social support, advocated for driver policy changes, and enacted agency to navigate driving restriction through the pursuit of self-determination and adaptation. Women have unique needs related to driving after stroke. More research is needed to develop richer understandings of this underrepresented group in stroke and driving research.