Older adults support healthy ageing initiatives, but everyday adoption is limited: Study

Findings show need for environment, systems that make healthy choices easier

- Chin Soo Fang

A new study has revealed critical gaps in preventive health and lifestyle habits even as Singapore is on track to become a super-aged society by 2030. Despite strong support for pro-health policies, their everyday adoption among older adults remains limited.

The findings suggest that beyond medical access, building a healthier ageing population requires an environment that makes healthy choices easier and part of daily lives.

Researchers at the SMU Centre for Research on Successful Ageing (Rosa) polled 7,056 Singaporeans between the ages of 53 and 80 in August 2025. The study, Living Well: The Built, Lived, And Social Determinants Of Well-being, draws on data from the Singapore Life Panel (SLP), a nationally representative longitudinal survey that has been conducted since 2015.

The survey found that over 90 per cent of respondents indicated that they support preventive healthcare initiative Healthier SG. Similarly, more than 90 per cent of them said that having regular health screenings is important. Slightly more than half have enrolled into Healthier SG, and a fifth intend to do so.

While there is increasing health awareness among older adults, usage of health-related services, however, is limited.