Estilos de conducción y salud mental en conductores motorizados del cantón Nangaritza durante el 2025

Abstract

Abstract:This study evaluates driving styles and mental health among motorized drivers in the Nangaritza canton, Zamora Chinchipe province, during 2025. The quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional study used validated instruments such as the MDSI, GHQ-28, and AUDIT. Fifty-two drivers from a public institution, aged between 20 and 64 years, participated, selected through non-probability sampling. The results show a slight prevalence of adaptive driving styles (M=40.73), especially the cautious style (M=27.87), although significant scores were also observed for reckless (M=13.67) and distracted (M=13.29) styles. Regarding mental health, the highest mean scores corresponded to social dysfunction (M=4.92), anxiety and insomnia (M=4.85), and somatic symptoms (M=3.98), while depression showed a lower incidence (M=2.00). Regarding alcohol consumption, 71.2% are abstinent or at low risk, 21.2% exhibit risky consumption, 1.9% harmful consumption, and 5.8% show probable signs of dependence. It is concluded that, although relatively safe behaviors predominate, the challenge of addressing psychosocial risk factors and harmful habits persists, requiring the strengthening of road safety education and prevention programs.