Individual determination of subjective importance of urban environment stress factors in the period of youth

Abstract

The problem of perception and assessment of urban environment risks by young inhabitants of big Russian cities is investigated in the article. Stress due to interaction with urban environment is considered as a factor reducing the quality of life and, at the same time, as the catalyst of higher-than-normal activity of an individual. The problem of identification of urban environment stressors and their evaluation was resolved by questioning 1762 young inhabitants of 7 big Russian cities. As a result, eight groups of stress factors were identified: real risks and dangers to life and health, information and dynamic loads, social crowding, transport risks, problem of orientation, indifference, migration risks and visual environment homogeneity. A comprehensive analysis revealed main determinants of individual subjective importance of each group of stress factors, including individual demographic (gender, rootedness) and personality (nervous system characteristics and other personality features) stress factors. The study proved that not gender differences and experience of living in a city, but personal resources of a young man were of great importance for developing subjective assessment of stress factors.