Does perceived stress mediate the relationship between commuting and health-related quality of life?

Abstract

Previous research indicates that employees with long commutes suffer from impaired health. In this paper, we argue that this relation should be conceptualized within a stress–strain framework. Using data from 1928 expatriate employees of the German Foreign Office, we test the mediating role of perceived stress in the relation between daily commuting time and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We find that long commutes are associated with substantially lower HRQOL and that this relation is well-accounted for by associated increases in stress, particularly among parents. We discuss how a stress perspective can inform future research on commuting impacts and implications for individual, organizational, and policy interventions to mitigate adverse consequences of commuting.