Perception of commuting stress in University students
Gioia Bottesi, Francesco Boz, Antonino Lo Burgio, Marta Ghisi
The commuter’s routine is characterised by a series of discomforts and inconveniences, which in the
long term can have a negative impact on health and the quality of life. To-date, particular attention
has been devoted to the objective stressors associated with commuting (distance travelled, journey
time); nevertheless, the crucial role played by subjective stressors, which depend on how the
commuter perceives his/her condition, is undeniable.
This paper aims to describe the features of commuting in the population of University students by
considering both objective and subjective stressor factors. An ad-hoc questionnaire was compiled
online by 2.643 commuting students registered at the University of Palermo. Four factors were
assessed: Distress associated with public transport, Psycho-physical state, Perception of his/her
commuter status and Distress associated with road transport. The younger students declared that
they perceived their commuter status more positively and reported less distress associated with road
transport compared to the older students. No gender differences were found. Despite the fact that
the results which emerged cannot be generalized on a national scale, this study represents the first
attempt to assess commuting stress among University students.
Keywords
Commuting, Stress, Stressor, University students, Cognitive appraisal.
