A systematic review on the impact of daily commute on the well-being of an urban commuter

Abstract

Introduction

The ever-growing demand for regular intra-city trips to meet the economic requirements has also spilled many hostile consequences on the life of an urban resident. The huge surge in the usage of private vehicles for commuting has been acting as an additional factor to degrade the well-being of a city inhabitant. Apart from the emissions, the congested and lengthy trips between home and work were found to have significant toll on health of an individual. Hence, this article tries to augment the understanding towards the impact of daily commute (time and mode) on overall health of an urban commuter, focusing on gender differences.

Observations

Most of the studies agreed that excess duration on road created turbulence in the psyche of a trip maker by usurping the time meant for life beyond job. For an urban commuter, this additional time pressure was observed to be capable of causing suboptimal sleep, hypertension and higher unhealthy fat levels. Across these findings, stakes of female workforce were at greater loss. Under given trip conditions, commuting using active modes was associated with better overall well-being.

Conclusions

To enhance the spatial coverage, a greater number of such inquisitive works are needed in growing economies of the world. Concerted efforts are recommended for better causative analysis of driving to commute and long-term health. Including the impact of driving on orthopaedic strength, by adding gender perspective can add robustness for the body of knowledge and strengthen the rationale for inclusive policy advice.