New centre set up to research ways to form healthy habits in people

Plans include testing novel interventions such as wearables, apps and games

- Joyce Teo

A research centre using behavioural insights to improve strategies for getting people to adopt healthy habits was launched on April 3.

For a start, the centre will focus on developing strategies to help people prevent infectious diseases, age well, tackle health issues like mental health, obesity and diabetes, and go for cancer screening.

It is the first behavioural health research centre in Singapore that bridges academia and clinical practice, said NTU and the National Healthcare Group (NHG), which jointly set up the facility.

At the Asian Centre for Health Behavioural Insights and Interventions, or Habits, behavioural scientists will work with medical doctors to develop effective interventions to improve health.

Professor Chong Phui-Nah, clinical director of Habits, said the centre will work with other healthcare organisations and government entities, including the Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board, to implement its research findings.