SINGAPORE - While more people are seeking professional help for mental health issues, fewer tested for chronic diseases and cancer in 2021 than in 2019, according to the annual health report card for Singapore residents released on Tuesday.
The 2021 National Population Health Survey (NPHS) 2021 tracked the health and risk factors of residents aged 18 to 74 between July 2020 and June 2021.
The Straits Times outlines how residents fared.
1. Vaccination (non-Covid-19)
A significant increase in seniors who got influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations.
In 2021, about 32 per cent of those aged between 65 and 74 took the influenza jabs, up from about 24 per cent in 2019.
The number of seniors who took the pneumococcal vaccines more than doubled to 22.4 per cent in 2021 from 10.3 per cent in 2019.
2. Mental health
More people sought professional help for mental health-related issues.
More than half of Singapore residents (58.3 per cent) were willing to seek help from healthcare professionals to cope with stress in 2021 compared with 2019 (47.8 per cent).
But those who were willing to seek help from informal support networks, such as the community and neighbours, fell to 69.1 per cent in 2021 from 74.5 per cent in 2019.
3. Health screening for chronic diseases and cancer
Fewer people participated in health screening in 2021 than in 2019, which could be partly due to the deferment of non-urgent services during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This means there could be a significant number of people with undiagnosed chronic conditions.
Participation in chronic disease screening fell to 59.2 per cent in 2021 from 66.3 per cent in 2019.
On average, the number of people who tested for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers fell by 6 to 7 percentage points in 2021.
4. Physical activity
About 71 per cent of residents engaged in at least 150 minutes of total physical activity every week in 2021, down from about 80 per cent in 2019.
The World Health Organisation says physical activity can be achieved through three ways - during work, while moving from one place to another and exercising during leisure time.
Seniors aged between 60 and 74 were the least active, with less than a quarter of them engaging in regular exercise.
About 40 per cent of young adults between 18 and 29 years old exercised often, and they were the most physically active group.
5. Smoking and binge drinking
Smoking rates have slowly decreased over the past decade.
In 2021, 10.4 per cent of residents smoked, a slight reduction from 10.6 per cent in 2019.
Binge drinking, which is the excessive consumption of alcohol over a short period of time, fell slightly to 9.6 per cent in 2021, from 10.2 per cent in 2019.
Correction note: This article has been edited for clarity.
