dos Santos, J B; Macedo Nascimento, P M and Lima, J P (2025) Commuting and its relationship with health and engagement of civil construction workers. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 23(5), pp. 1348-1363. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose – Identifying factors that impact workers' health and performance is extremely important for companies and, in particular, for companies in the construction sector. Despite the evidence, knowledge about the relationship between commuting, health and worker performance is still limited. More specifically on the relationship with work engagement, studies focus on work-related aspects, neglecting individual and behavioral factors. This study aims to verify the relationship between the commuting patterns of workers, their health and their work engagement in a civil construction company located in São José dos Campos, Brazil. Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire was applied to 43 civil construction workers. The participants' physical and mental health was evaluated using the 12-item short-form health survey. Employees' work engagement was assessed through the UWES-17 scale. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the relationship between physical and mental health, engagement and commuting to work. Findings – The result corroborated the literature showing that the use of active transport positively influenced the mental health of construction workers and negatively affected those who use individual motorized transport. People working from home had the lowest values for total engagement, vigor and dedication. Originality/value – This study provides evidence and a prior understanding of this relationship, serving as a basis for decision-making processes in the area of transport that contribute to the health and better functioning of companies in the construction sector. This work also contributes to the state of the art on the relationship between commuting, health and worker engagement.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | commuting pattern; mobility; physical and mental health; work engagement |
| Index terms: | mental health, construction worker, statistical analysis, decision-making process, mobility, construction sector, questionnaire, evidence, state of the art, methodology, construction company, survey, worker engagement, Brazil |
| Subjects: | practitioner, evaluation and assessment methods, research dissemination and communication, organization, Geography, research methods, data collection methods, data science, management, industry analysis, infrastructure and transport systems, decision analysis, health conditions and diseases |
| Topics: | Human Resources, Urban Studies, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Roles and Professions, Geographical Context, Health and Safety, Risk Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here