Estilos de conducción y salud mental en conductores motorizados de la compañía Voluntad de Dios de la parroquia Montalvo de la ciudad de Ambato, Provincia de Tungurahua-Ecuador, durante el año 2025-2026

Abstract

Abstract: The general objective of this study was to evaluate driving styles and mental health among motorized drivers of the "Voluntad de Dios" company in the Montalvo parish of Ambato, Ecuador, during the period 2025-2026. The methodology employed a quantitative approach with a non-experimental, cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 38 drivers selected using probabilistic sampling. The instruments used included the Ad Hoc Sociodemographic Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI), the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The results show that the company's drivers primarily employ adaptive driving styles (Mp = 3.90; SD = 0.79), with stress reduction (Mp = 4.06; SD = 0.82) and cautious driving (Mp = 3.81; SD = 0.98) being the most prominent, demonstrating a tendency toward emotional control and caution while driving. However, the presence of scores for reckless (Mp = 2.40; SD = 0.91) and aggressive (Mp = 2.22; SD = 0.96) driving reveals that a segment of the participants maintains risky behaviors that could compromise road safety. This finding underscores the need to implement road safety education programs specifically targeting this occupational group.