Commuting Uncertainty and Psychological Distress among First-Year University Students in Dhaka

Okafor, S. (2025). Commuting Uncertainty and Psychological Distress among First-Year University Students in Dhaka. Journal of Social Science DIU. https://jssdiu.org/articles/commuting-uncertainty-and-psychological-distress-among-first-year-university-stu-4efee68c

Okafor, Samuel. “Commuting Uncertainty and Psychological Distress among First-Year University Students in Dhaka.” Journal of Social Science DIU, 2025, https://jssdiu.org/articles/commuting-uncertainty-and-psychological-distress-among-first-year-university-stu-4efee68c.

Okafor, Samuel. 2025. “Commuting Uncertainty and Psychological Distress among First-Year University Students in Dhaka.” Journal of Social Science DIU. https://jssdiu.org/articles/commuting-uncertainty-and-psychological-distress-among-first-year-university-stu-4efee68c.

Okafor, Samuel. “Commuting Uncertainty and Psychological Distress among First-Year University Students in Dhaka.” Journal of Social Science DIU (2025). https://jssdiu.org/articles/commuting-uncertainty-and-psychological-distress-among-first-year-university-stu-4efee68c.

Okafor, S. (2025) ‘Commuting Uncertainty and Psychological Distress among First-Year University Students in Dhaka’, Journal of Social Science DIU. Available at: https://jssdiu.org/articles/commuting-uncertainty-and-psychological-distress-among-first-year-university-stu-4efee68c (Accessed: 4 November 2026).

S. Okafor, “Commuting Uncertainty and Psychological Distress among First-Year University Students in Dhaka,” Journal of Social Science DIU, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://jssdiu.org/articles/commuting-uncertainty-and-psychological-distress-among-first-year-university-stu-4efee68c

Okafor S. Commuting Uncertainty and Psychological Distress among First-Year University Students in Dhaka. Journal of Social Science DIU [Internet]. 2025 Sep 11 [cited 2026 Nov 4]. Available from: https://jssdiu.org/articles/commuting-uncertainty-and-psychological-distress-among-first-year-university-stu-4efee68c

@article{okafor2025commuting,
  author = {Okafor, Samuel},
  title = {{Commuting Uncertainty and Psychological Distress among First-Year University Students in Dhaka}},
  journal = {Journal of Social Science DIU},
  year = {2025},
  month = {sep},
  publisher = {Dhaka International University},
  url = {https://jssdiu.org/articles/commuting-uncertainty-and-psychological-distress-among-first-year-university-stu-4efee68c},
  keywords = {commuting uncertainty, student wellbeing, psychological distress, travel diaries, Dhaka},
  abstract = {Students who commute across Dhaka face uncertain journey times that may complicate adjustment to university life. This study examines whether unpredictability in daily travel is associated with psychological distress during the first academic semester. A panel of 412 first-year students at three universities completed fortnightly travel diaries and three administrations of a validated distress scale. Multilevel models separated variation between students from changes within the same student over time. Greater week-to-week variation in commuting time was associated with higher distress scores after accounting for average travel duration, paid work, and household resources. Interviews with 28 participants linked this pattern to missed classes, difficulty arranging group work, and reduced confidence about arrival times. Support from classmates appeared to ease some practical consequences of travel disruption. The observational design and self-reported journeys limit causal interpretation. University support services could consider flexible attendance arrangements and predictable access to recorded materials, while future research tests whether transport reliability improvements reduce distress across a full academic year.}
}

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Okafor, Samuel
TI  - Commuting Uncertainty and Psychological Distress among First-Year University Students in Dhaka
JO  - Journal of Social Science DIU
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/09/11
PB  - Dhaka International University
UR  - https://jssdiu.org/articles/commuting-uncertainty-and-psychological-distress-among-first-year-university-stu-4efee68c
KW  - commuting uncertainty
KW  - student wellbeing
KW  - psychological distress
KW  - travel diaries
KW  - Dhaka
AB  - Students who commute across Dhaka face uncertain journey times that may complicate adjustment to university life. This study examines whether unpredictability in daily travel is associated with psychological distress during the first academic semester. A panel of 412 first-year students at three universities completed fortnightly travel diaries and three administrations of a validated distress scale. Multilevel models separated variation between students from changes within the same student over time. Greater week-to-week variation in commuting time was associated with higher distress scores after accounting for average travel duration, paid work, and household resources. Interviews with 28 participants linked this pattern to missed classes, difficulty arranging group work, and reduced confidence about arrival times. Support from classmates appeared to ease some practical consequences of travel disruption. The observational design and self-reported journeys limit causal interpretation. University support services could consider flexible attendance arrangements and predictable access to recorded materials, while future research tests whether transport reliability improvements reduce distress across a full academic year.
ER  -