Insight into the nonlinear effect of COVID-19 on well-being in China: Commuting, a vital ingredient

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 had a devastating impact on people's work, travel, and well-being worldwide. As one of the first countries to be affected by the virus and develop relatively well-executed pandemic control, China has witnessed a significant shift in people's well-being and habits, related to both commuting and social interaction. In this context, what factors and the extent to which they contribute to well-being are worth exploring. METHODS: Through a questionnaire survey within mainland China, 688 valid sheets were collected, capturing various aspects of individuals' life, including travel, and social status. Focusing on commuting and other factors, a Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) model was developed based on 300 sheets reporting working trips, to analyze the effects on well-being. Two indicators, i.e., the Relative Importance (RI) and Partial Dependency Plot (PDP), were used to quantify and visualize the effects of the explanatory factors and the synergy among them. RESULTS: Commuting characteristics are the most critical ingredients, followed by social interactions to explain subjective well-being. Commuting stress poses the most substantial effect. Less stressful commuting trips can solidly improve overall well-being. Better life satisfaction is linked with shorter confinement periods and increased restriction levels. Meanwhile, the switch from in-person to online social interactions had less impact on young people's life satisfaction. Older people were unsatisfied with this change, which had a significant negative impact on their life satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: From the synergy of commuting stress and commuting time on well-being, the effect of commuting time on well-being is mediated by commuting stress in the case of China. Even if one is satisfied with online communication, the extent of enhancement on well-being is minimal, for it still cannot replace face-to-face interaction. The findings can be beneficial in improving the overall well-being of society during the pandemic and after the virus has been eradicated.