Health@NUS - Studying Health Behaviours and Well-being During the Student-to-Work Life Transition Using mHealth

NCT ID: NCT05154227

Last Updated: 2021-12-13

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Total Enrollment: 1300 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2020-10-20
• Study Completion Date: 2023-11-30

Brief Summary

The study aims to investigate body-weight and behavioural trajectories, as well as their underlying individual, social, and environmental determinants from University to early working life. The study employs mHealth approaches in the form of a smartphone app and smart wearables to collect health behaviour and related information to answer the following research questions:

1. To what extend do health behaviours (activity, diet, and sleep), body weight, and mental well-being change during the transition from university to early working life?

2. What is the relationship between health behaviours and mental well-being, and how does it differ at different stages of the transition from University to early working life?

3. What are the determinants of physical activity, healthy eating and sleep in university students and young working adults?

4. Do these determinants differ at different stages of the student to work life transition?

5. If so, how do these differences in these determinants relate to changes in health behaviours, weight status, and mental well-being?

Detailed Description

This is a prospective cohort study. The study period for each participant is 2 years. Participants are required to download the study's smartphone app and wear the assigned smartwatch to collect various information (including step counts and sleep time). Physical measurements are taken in person at baseline, 12 months and 24 months visits. These measurements include height, weight, waist circumference, resting heart rate and blood pressure.

Questionnaires administered at baseline, 12 months and 24 months include:

• Demographics (age, gender, religion, socio-economic status, education level)
• Personality
• Dietary intake and habits
• Physical activity, sedentary behavior and screen time
• Active and passive transport use
• Smoking habit
• Sleep quality
• Mental health and wellness
• Medical history
• Women's health-related

Participants will also receive occasional surveys sent to their smartphone through the study app. These surveys will include questions about sleep, diet, technology use, binge drinking, smoking, physical activities and/or emotions.

Conditions

Healthy

Keywords

mhealth; young adults cohort

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: COHORT
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Full time National University of Singapore students (undergraduate and postgraduate)
• Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident;
• Has a Singapore registered mobile number• Owns a mobile phone with operating system that is compatible with the study app (iOS 10 or Android 7 and above);
• Able to make the upfront deposit of $20 and able to set up the Direct Debit Authorization (DDA) for possible deductions by HPB;
• Able to understand the study procedure during the informed consent taking process.

Exclusion Criteria

• Students who will be overseas for more than 6 weeks per trip during the study period (e.g. involved in overseas exchange/internship programmes or stationed overseas) or travelling frequently;
• Students who are not able to set up the DDA via online method will be excluded;
• Students who has worked in a full-time position for more than a year previously;
• Pregnant women will be excluded only at the point of recruitment.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 26 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Health Promotion Board, Singapore

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role: collaborator

National University of Singapore

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Dr Falk Mueller-Riemenschneider

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Falk Müller-Riemenschneider

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

National University of Singapore

Locations

Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore

Singapore, , Singapore

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Singapore

Central Contacts

Chua Xin Hui

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +65-6601-1940

Email: xinhui.chua@nus.edu.sg

Tay Zoey

Role: CONTACT

Email: ephtz@nus.edu.sg

Facility Contacts

Yeo Shumian

Role: primary

References

Zheng S, Chua XH, Edney SM, Goh CM, Tai BC, Chia J, Koek D, van Dam RM, Muller-Riemenschneider F. Movement and dietary behaviours and mental health among university students: the Health@NUS study. BMC Public Health. 2025 Sep 24;25(1):3100. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-24340-5.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 40993637 (View on PubMed)

Chua XH, Edney SM, Muller AM, Petrunoff NA, Whitton C, Tay Z, Goh CMJL, Chen B, Park SH, Rebello SA, Low A, Chia J, Koek D, Cheong K, van Dam RM, Muller-Riemenschneider F. Rationale, Design, and Baseline Characteristics of Participants in the Health@NUS mHealth Augmented Cohort Study Examining Student-to-Work Life Transition: Protocol for a Prospective Cohort Study. JMIR Res Protoc. 2024 Jul 17;13:e56749. doi: 10.2196/56749.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 39018103 (View on PubMed)

Edney S, Goh CM, Chua XH, Low A, Chia J, S Koek D, Cheong K, van Dam R, Tan CS, Muller-Riemenschneider F. Evaluating the Effects of Rewards and Schedule Length on Response Rates to Ecological Momentary Assessment Surveys: Randomized Controlled Trials. J Med Internet Res. 2023 Oct 19;25:e45764. doi: 10.2196/45764.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 37856188 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Health@NUS

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id