Factors associated with commuting stress among tertiary education employees in Guyana

The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with commuting stress using symptomatology among tertiary education employees in Georgetown Guyana. A cross sectional survey was conducted among 427  (100 male, 317 female) participants, with a mean age of 29.6(sd=8.7) years. Data about their demographic characteristics, psychosocial measures (perceived stress, coping and resilience), characteristics about their commute (length, mode, and satisfaction with commute infrastructure), and how often they experienced selected symptoms associated with stress on the daily commute was collected using a self administered questionnaire. A commuting stress score was calculated for each participant and this was followed by regression analysis. The results showed that after controlling for resiliency, coping, perception of job, total life stress, income levels and education all of which can contribute to how persons perceive hassles in their lives, the regression model demonstrated that females, persons who used public transportation, persons who have longer commute times and persons who are less satisfied with the commute infrastructure are more likely to report that they experience symptoms associated with stress while engaged in the daily commute compared to males, persons who use private transportation, persons who have shorter commute times and persons who are more satisfied with the commute infrastructure respectively. Once all controlled variables were accounted for, it appears that for this study population, age, where they live and whether or not they actively or passively commuted did not have any meaningful impact on whether they would report if they experienced stress associated symptoms while engaged in the daily commute. he results suggest the need for a multi-pronged approach to address commuting stress, involving individual healthcare, mental-health-centric urban transport design, improved commute infrastructure, and increased employer engagement. Future studies employing qualitative and experimental methods are recommended ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement The author(s) received no specific funding for this work. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Not Applicable The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Arizona State University. (Protocol number: STUDY00017507) I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Not Applicable I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Not Applicable I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Not Applicable All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting Information files.