Start early for better health

The updated Guidance on Screen Use in Children aged 0-12 years old provides clearer and more actionable guidance on screen use practices in children. A summary guidance for parents has been included to help parents better understand why the recommendations are important and how they can impact their child’s health.

The revised Code of Practice for the Early Childhood Development Centres includes appropriate management of screen use in preschools. As part of the Early Years Development Framework Educators’ Guide, preschool educators are also guided to provide meaningful experiences instead of sedentary activities such as screen time.

More detailed guidelines on managing students’ use of smartphones and smartwatches in primary and secondary schools are in place, tailored according to each school’s student profile, school context and curriculum efforts.

The Digital for Life (DfL) portal offers an array of bite-sized resources to equip parents and caregivers with the skills and knowledge to guide their children’s online interactions and support their digital well-being. These resources cover topics such as managing children's screen use and safeguarding them from online risks like cyberbullying and sexual grooming. By exploring these materials, parents and caregivers could foster a safe and healthy digital environment for their children.

Grow Well SG supports children, families and schools to build supportive environments that reinforce healthy lifestyle choices.

Personalised Health Plans are introduced for children, starting with Primary 1 to 3 students, as part of HPB’s annual school health screening programme. Every child receives a Health Plan that consists of a lifestyle prescription, school health screening results, vaccination reports and referrals to public healthcare institutions when necessary. The Health Plan also provides families with resources to help their children foster lifelong healthy habits.

The Childhood Health Behaviours Checklist (CHBC) covers four lifestyle domains, namely Screen Use, Sleep, Physical Activity and Nutrition. This checklist is used at the Childhood Developmental Screening visits for children aged 0-6 years old, to help raise and sustain parents’ awareness of healthy behaviours that children should adopt from an early age.

Additional resources such as the Parenting for Wellness website on Parent Hub enables parents to conveniently access personalised tips and strategies to build strong relationships with their child and support their mental well-being.

Grow Well SG supports schools to improve student health, particularly for students who are at-risk and require additional assistance. 

All primary schools receive a comprehensive Student Health Status Card which includes health and lifestyle data of their student population. This complements schools’ current efforts to identify health needs and interventions required for their students, and educate them on appropriate healthy behaviours.

As well-balanced meals are important for good health in children, the updated HPB Healthy Meals in School Programme’s guidelines reflect the latest nutritional recommendations for sodium and Nutri-Grade for sugar-sweetened beverages in schools. Support is provided to school canteen vendors to offer healthier options for students. We are also exploring partnerships with healthcare clusters to provide additional support in schools to promote healthy behaviours, such as working further with canteen vendors to make healthier food options more appealing and expand their range of healthy recipes.