Health Check

Can excessive screen use cause your child to be easily distracted?

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

Too much screen use can lead to a child having issues with sustained attention. Tasks like homework may become a challenge to complete. 

Indeed, as more evidence emerges on the impact of excessive screen time on a child’s cognitive development and executive functioning, the authorities have updated its screen use guidance. It comes under a new health promotion strategy called Grow Well SG, which is currently aimed at supporting families of children up to the age of 12.

In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo invites a clinician scientist specialising in developmental and behavioural paediatrics to discuss the impact and the rationale behind the changes. 

She is Dr Evelyn Law, an Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore, who is part of the research team for the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes birth cohort study (Gusto). This Gusto study has been going on for 14 years and had contributed to the evidence behind the various guidance in Grow Well SG.

Dr Law, a senior consultant at the Khoo Teck Puat - National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Hospital, is also a member of the expert group that led the development of the screen use guidance in children.

Highlights (click/tap above)

2:35 What is executive function, and can frequent use of digital devices cause a child to be easily distracted?

7:46 What’s the difference between having executive function deficits and a condition like ADHD? 

11:46 What’s the difference between recreational and educational screen use?

16:01 Is there a gaming addiction problem in Singapore? 

21:41 What’s the rationale behind restricting access to social media services for children below 13?

Check out ST's new series, No health without mental health: https://str.sg/mentalhealthmatters

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

Host: Joyce Teo ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX

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Feedback to: [email protected]

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Research on the serious brain disorder paves the way to new treatments.

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

Schizophrenia is a serious and chronic brain disorder that affects a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions and relate to others.

Some people may associate the disorder with just hallucinations or delusions, but it is more than that. Those with the illness can experience cognitive and motivational problems that have no pharmaceutical solution, though other strategies, like therapy, may help.

Schizophrenia affects one in 116 people in Singapore, and is the most common disorder seen at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). With treatment, many people with schizophrenia can go on to lead fulfilling lives.

In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo speaks to psychiatrist Jimmy Lee about the complexity of schizophrenia and the research that is being done to help individuals who have this illness.

Associate Professor Jimmy Lee is a senior consultant at IMH’s Department of Psychosis. He has been conducting research to help advance the understanding of schizophrenia for more than 15 years. 

This podcast is part of the No Health Without Mental Health series. It is a special year-long series that The Straits Times started in October 2024 to normalise conversations about mental health so that people can get timely support. 

Highlights (click/tap above)

3:18 It’s not a disease of multiple personalities

5:45 So how do people know that they have schizophrenia?

12:56 What’s happening on the research front?

14:43 What are the possible causes of schizophrenia?

19:28 IMH brain stimulation trial aims to improve schizophrenia symptoms

22:53 Will newer drugs for schizophrenia emerge soon?

Check out ST's new series, No health without mental health: https://str.sg/mentalhealthmatters

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

Host: Joyce Teo ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Finding meaning and purpose in life.

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

In this New Year’s day episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo talks to Adj Assoc Prof Angie Chew about the importance of spirituality in our lives. They also discuss how to harness this source of strength to improve our mental health and find meaning, purpose, and happiness in life. 

Prof Chew is the Founder, CEO and Mindfulness Principal of Brahm Centre, a mental health charity dedicated to promoting happier and healthier living.

This podcast is part of the No Health Without Mental Health series. It is a special year-long series that The Straits Times started in October 2024 to normalise conversations about mental health so that people can get timely support. The December package on combating holiday blues was released on Dec 16. 

Highlights (click/tap above)

2:24 What is spirituality?

6:08 Coping with irrational fears and jealousy

10:23 Creating a distance between you and your thoughts

14:57 Parents predicting that their children won’t do well in school

18:25 What if spirituality becomes a source of stress for you?

22:32 It’s time to forgive someone

Check out ST's new series, No health without mental health: https://str.sg/mentalhealthmatters

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

Host: Joyce Teo ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Hypertension is a silent killer; check it before it’s too late.

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

Do you know if you have high blood pressure or what's also known as hypertension? According to the National Population Health Survey 2022, about one in three Singaporeans aged 18 to 74 has hypertension. This condition puts them at risk of heart disease and stroke. However, a significant proportion remains unaware because the symptoms become obvious only when the condition is severe. 

Hypertension is present when a person’s blood pressure is at 140/90 mmHg or higher. But a slightly lower reading doesn't reduce the risk. In August 2024, the European Society of Cardiology, an influential society among cardiologists, introduced a new high blood pressure or BP category of 120-139. This implies that even readings in this range are not 'normal' as doctors once thought.

In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo talks to Assoc Prof Chin Chee Tang, a cardiologist from the National Heart Centre Singapore, about the new category and what to make of it. They also discuss renal denervation, a procedure that the same society said may be considered for some patients with uncontrolled, drug-resistant high blood pressure.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:19 Should I be worried about a new category of hypertension? 

5:30 How do I manage my blood pressure?

11:39 Monitoring the impact of salt reduction on your blood pressure

13:32 Can high blood pressure be lowered to normal levels? 

19:39 Is renal denervation the right procedure for resistant hypertension?

Check out ST's new series, No health without mental health: https://str.sg/mentalhealthmatters

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

Host: Joyce Teo ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

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Where is Singapore dementia research headed?

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

This episode is on a topic that affects millions worldwide: dementia. We will explore the differences between how dementia presents in Asian versus Caucasian populations, and what this means when it comes to early intervention and future treatments. 

Professor Nagaendran Kandiah, director of the Dementia Research Centre (Singapore) at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at Nanyang Technological University is our guest. He also talks to Joyce Teo about Lecanemab and Donanemab, two drugs that can slow down Alzheimer’s disease by treating the root cause. Donanemab, for instance, has been approved, but not recommended for the National Health Service in England.

Highlights (click/tap above)

1:05 Differences in the way dementia shows up in Asians and Caucasians

6:01 A blood test to pick up dementia

11:59 Lecanemab and Donanemab, two drugs that have been approved elsewhere for those with Alzheimer’s disease

18:50 What can you do to lower your risk of vascular dementia?

Check out ST's new series, No health without mental health: https://str.sg/mentalhealthmatters

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

Host: Joyce Teo ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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The conversation in this episode dives into suicide prevention, stigma, and the changes needed to get to Zero-Suicide.

Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.

In Singapore, suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people aged between 10 and 29. 

A 160-page white paper report called Project Hayat (meaning ‘life’ in Malay) was launched in conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept 10 by advocacy group SG Mental Health Matters.

Project Hayat outlines a national suicide prevention strategy for Singapore, and laid out its own research findings and 23 recommendations for addressing the gaps in suicide prevention here.

In this episode, host Natasha Ann Zachariah finds out how we could talk more openly about suicide matters among young people, and what more can be done to address the gaps in support.

Her guests on the show are the project’s co-lead Dr Rayner Tan, 35, who is from the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. 

Shantini Sathiyanesan, 38, calls herself a “wounded healer” for her journey through suicidality, and also for having experienced the grief of losing someone to suicide.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:55 Has Project Hayat’s data studies shown unique barriers specific to minorities in society? 

5:30 How to tell if someone has suicidal thoughts; passive and active suicide ideation; what is psychache (psychological pain)? 

9:25 Shantini shares her own lived experience of suicidality - having suicidal thoughts, ideation, and losing someone to suicide -  despite living a highly functioning life

13:58 What is the suicide question and why is it important to ask it? Paradox of saying “I don’t want to be a burden”

20:10 Importance of Project Hayat’s suicide prevention strategies; what can we do better when someone comes to us for help?

31:23 Dr Rayner Tan on Project Hayat’s bold ‘zero suicides’ target for Singapore; on SOS (Samaritans of Singapore) helplines and the experience it offers

The Project Hayat White Paper is available here: www.sgmentalhealthmatters.com

MENTAL WELL-BEING

• Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours)
• Samaritans of Singapore: 1-767 (24 hours) / 9151-1767 (24 hours CareText via WhatsApp)
• Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
• Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928
• Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 
• Chat, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health: 6493-6500/1 
• Women’s Helpline (Aware): 1800-777-5555 (weekdays, 10am to 6pm)

COUNSELLING

• Touchline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252
• Touch Care Line (for caregivers): 6804-6555
• Care Corner Counselling Centre: 6353-1180
• Counselling and Care Centre: 6536-6366
• We Care Community Services: 3165-8017

ONLINE RESOURCES

• https://moht.com.sg/mindline-sg/
• https://fycs.org/ec2-sg/
• https://www.tinklefriend.sg/
• https://www.imh.com.sg/chat/Pages/default.aspx
• https://carey.carecorner.org.sg/ (for those aged 13 to 25)
• https://www.limitless.sg/talk (for those aged 12 to 25)

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav

Host: Natasha Zachariah ([email protected])

Read Natasha's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by ST Podcast producers: Eden Soh & Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

Follow The Usual Place Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/wEr7u

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

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There is no health without mental health.

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

Mental health is a national priority in Singapore. While the recent 2023 National Population Health Survey showed that there was an improvement in the mental health of the general population between 2022 and 2023, younger adults aged 18 to 29 remained more affected than other age groups, with about 26 per cent of them reporting poor mental health.

We, at ST, want to normalise conversations about mental health so that people can get timely support. This is super important because there is no health without mental health.

This is why we’re starting a year-long Mental Health Series, which will feature a package of stories focusing on mental health every month.

We will talk to people with mental health conditions about the challenges they face, and what they do to manage their conditions. 

We will also look at the evolving mental health landscape here, and tell you what is changing.

In this podcast, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo talks to two guests about their help seeking journey. 

They are her colleague Lee Li Ying, who’s a correspondent at ST and Yusri Shaggy Sapari, a freelance filmmaker.

Highlights (click/tap above)

4:35 Li Ying’s first visit to a psychiatrist  

9:13 Shaggy’s help-seeking journey via the polyclinic route 

13:06 What’s the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a counsellor?  

18:13 Tips for those thinking of seeking help

Check out ST's new series, No health without mental health: https://str.sg/mentalhealthmatters

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

Host: Joyce Teo ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

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How to choose a healthier salt and cooking oil.

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

Singapore is planning to introduce Nutri-Grade labelling for salt, sauces and seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oil.

These are labels that will allow consumers to tell at a glance how healthy they are. The products will be graded A to D – with D being the least healthy choice, having the highest levels of sodium and/or saturated fat, among other possible nutrients.

The mandatory Nutri-Grade label has been successfully used on pre-packaged and freshly prepared beverages. Drinks that exceed a threshold of sweetness are graded C and D, and there are also prohibitions on advertising such beverages that are grade D.

Still, it would appear easier for someone to cut down on sugary drinks, or even eliminate them, than it is to significantly reduce the intake of sodium and saturated fats as savoury foods can form a big part of our diets.

Will this new labelling requirement truly benefit us, and what should we watch out for, when it comes to maintaining healthier diets in the meantime? 

ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo finds out more from the president of the Singapore Nutrition Dietetics Association, Dr Kalpana Bhaskaran.

She is the deputy director of Industry Partnerships and the head of the Glycemic Index Research Unit at the School of Applied Science at Temasek Polytechnic.

Highlights (click/tap above)

2:29 The taste test: what’s the difference between potassium salt and table salt?

3:08 Watch out for hidden sodium

6:59 Salty tolerance for the elderly is much higher

10:39 What exactly are saturated fats? 

13:17 How to pick out a healthier cooking oil

15:13 Is there any truth to the claim that coconut oil is actually good for health? 

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

Host: Joyce Teo ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Eden Soh

Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Lynda Hong

Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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New episodes from our rebranded podcast channel will drop here: https://str.sg/wB2m

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times.

Our previous Money and Career podcast channel is now rebranded HeadSTart on Record, taking on a fresher and sharper approach on how to chase your aspirations and grow your money. 

Hosts Sue-Ann Tan and Tay Hong Yi will speak with guests on how to navigate jobs and finances in a daunting, complex world. 

Hong Yi has been covering manpower and talent topics for ST, with a focus on careers, the job market and workforce trends. 

Sue-Ann will look at how to invest your money and the delicate balancing act between saving and living. Sept 2 Monday sees her first episode dropping across our audio platforms and the ST app.

Stay tuned for more episodes on chewy topics like how far would you go for your pay cheque and how you can invest from age 18.

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

Read Tay Hong Yi's articles: https://str.sg/w6cz

Follow Tay Hong Yi on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/D6vT

Get business/career tips in ST's HeadSTart newsletter: str.sg/headstart-nl

Produced by: Sue-Ann Tan ([email protected]), Tay Hong Yi ([email protected]),  Ernest Luis and Amirul Karim

Edited by: Amirul Karim

Follow HeadSTart On Record Podcast channel here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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How effective are your skincare products?

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

We all want to look as young and as healthy as possible, and one way to do so is to have healthy skin. But, as we age, our skin becomes thinner, less elastic and more dry and sensitive. There’s also a difference between Asian and Caucasian skin, but most dermatological research has focused on Caucasian populations.

How can we then delay the skin ageing process? 

To find out more, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo speaks to an expert on ageing skin - Professor Rachel Watson - who had spent 30 years in the United Kingdom studying what exactly changes in the skin as we age and how the environment accelerates skin ageing.

She has come to Singapore to study Asian skin, and has just started a new research project looking at Asian skin ageing and the possible interventions that can be used to improve skin health and prevent skin diseases.

Prof Watson is the executive director of the Skin Research Institute of Singapore and the A*STAR Skin Research Labs.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:04 Difference between Asian and Caucasian skin

6:48 Prof Watson’s new four-year study on ageing in Asian skin.

17:38 Ingredients to look out for in your skincare products

22:29 Protect the health of all your skin, and not just the skin on your face 

31:20 The myth of collagen drinks

Produced by: Joyce Teo ([email protected]), Amirul Karim and Eden Soh

Edited by: Eden Soh

Follow Health Check Podcast here every month and rate us:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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