A*STAR started a S$150 million, five-year study tracking about 5,000 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 24 across Singapore in April 2026 [1, 2, 3]. The research will examine physical health, mental well-being, sleep, nutrition, exercise, digital media use, social and psychological development, and the impact of urban environments on young people [4, 1, 2, 3].
The study is led by A*STAR's Institute for Human Development and Potential (IHDP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other partners [4, 1, 2, 3]. It is funded by Singapore’s National Research Foundation [1, 2, 3].
This effort aims to address the lack of longitudinal adolescent research focused on Asian populations by building on existing cohorts such as GUSTO and iAdoRe [1, 2, 3]. Researchers highlight adolescence as a "second critical window in child development, apart from early childhood which has been studied extensively here," said Rhea Tan of A*STAR [1].
Tan added that prior cross-sectional studies offer snapshots but do not capture developmental trajectories. "Following people from childhood to adulthood helps researchers get a clearer picture of how resilience is developed, for instance, and what drives risk, to understand when intervention makes the most impact," she explained [1].
The research will explore how factors like early life experiences, family, peers, policy, digital media, and urban environments influence adolescent resilience, mental health, and academic performance [4, 1, 2, 3].
The study formally began fieldwork in April 2026 and was publicly announced on July 13, 2026 [4, 1, 2, 3]. It will run through 2031, tracking participants over five years to gather data on their developmental outcomes in Singapore's urban context [4, 1, 2, 3].
