Percezione dello stress da pendolarismo negli studenti universitari: uno studio osservativo

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.