Disease
BZZZZZ...Dengue cases are increasing rapidly in the neighbourhood, with some areas reaching Red Alert (High risk zones, >10 cases). Locals are becoming increasingly concerned, and turn to you for answers.
You are an epidemiologist. What would you investigate first?
A. Where and when the cases are occurring
B. Which hospital has the nicest facilities
C. What food the patients ate
A. Where and when the cases are occurring
Epidemiologists study patterns of disease across populations to identify causes, risk factors and the spread.
Therefore, an epidemiologist would study which target groups are getting dengue, where and when cases are increasing, and what factors, such as mosquitoes, environment and human behaviour, are driving the spread.
Over the years, there is an increasing emphasis on mental health, especially within our younger generation. Especially, you note that there is rising stress among primary and secondary school students.
You are a behavioural scientist studying rising stress among students. What would you investigate?
A. Whether students understand the health consequences of excessive stress
B. Which psychological, social and environmental factors are influencing students' behaviour and stress
C. Whether schools should introduce stricter rules around healthy study habits
B. Which psychological, social and environmental factors are influencing students' behaviour and stress
A focuses on health education, while C focuses on healthcare policy.
A behavioural scientist studies how psychological, social and environmental factors influence people's behaviour and decisions.
Therefore, a behavioural scientist would investigate factors such as academic pressure, coping strategies, social support, sleep and students' perceptions of stress, making B the best answer.
A recent report by Nanyang Primary School has shown that their students consistently choose less nutritious options despite healthier choices being available in school canteens. Teachers and parents are stumbled by this recent statistic as they assume the presence of healthier food options would result in more students choosing them. Furthermore, Hungry Henry's Healthy Food is facing a loss in revenue, as reportedly less than 10 students purchase from them per week.
You are a public health nutritionist. What would you prioritise, after identifying this as a serious issue to tackle?
A. Increase nutrition education so students can make more informed choices
B. Modify the food environment so healthier choices are more affordable, accessible and appealing
C. Provide personalised dietary advice to students with poor eating habits
B. Modify the food environment so healthier choices are more affordable, accessible and appealing
A and C helps each student individually, which may not be sustainable, efficient or effective. B however, deals with the food environment o a broader scale.
Public health nutritionists consider how food environments influence population health and dietary behaviour.
Therefore, a nutritionist could work with schools and food providers to make healthier choices easier and more accessible, rather than relying entirely on individual behaviour.
Air quality across Singapore improved slightly overnight but remained largely in the unhealthy range. As at 6am on Sept 30, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings in the central, eastern, western and southern regions stood at 121, 119, 121 and 112 respectively, while the air quality in the northern part of the island inched downwards to the moderate range at 97.
You are an environmental health specialist during this period of haze. What would you investigate?
A. Overall pollution levels and how exposure may affect different population groups
B. Whether individuals are following recommendations to reduce their personal exposure
C. Whether healthcare facilities are prepared for an increase in respiratory cases
A. Overall pollution levels and how exposure may affect different population groups
Environmental health specialists consider how environmental conditions can affect population health.
Therefore, they would investigate factors such as the level and type of air pollution, patterns of exposure and whether certain groups face greater health risks due to differences in exposure or vulnerability.
A viral TikTok claims that teenagers can “looksmaxx” and “mog” their peers by sleeping less and spending more time on skincare, gym workouts, and appearance routines, arguing that “young bodies recover automatically.” The trend explodes among students in Singapore, with teenagers sacrificing sleep to follow increasingly intense routines. Schools begin noticing more students arriving exhausted, while parents and doctors question the health claims spreading online.
You are a health communications specialist. What would you prioritise?
A. Publish evidence-based information correcting the claim and communicate it in a format teenagers are likely to engage with
B. Report every account sharing the claim so that the information disappears
C. Publish general information about sleep without directly addressing the viral claim
A. Publish evidence-based information correcting the claim and communicate it in a format teenagers are likely to engage with
Health communications specialists consider how accurate health information can be communicated effectively to the population.
Therefore, they would consider the evidence behind the claim, how to correct the misinformation clearly and which communication formats are most likely to reach and engage the affected audience.
*Cough* *Cough* A flu outbreak has hit 4 secondary school, with dozens of students absent and cases continuing to rise. The school doesn't understand how this could have happened, and looks to you for answers.
You are a public health physician. What would you prioritise?
A. Strengthen clinical care for students who develop severe symptoms
B. Assess transmission patterns and coordinate measures to reduce spread across the school
C. Provide students with information on recognising flu symptoms and seeking treatment
B. Assess transmission patterns and coordinate measures to reduce spread across the school
Trap! A and C are useful but the public health physicians work to prevent disease and protect the health of entire populations, rather than focusing only on individual patients.
Therefore, a public health physician would consider measures such as infection control, vaccination, health guidance and outbreak management to reduce transmission across the school population.
A recent survey by the Ministry of Education has shown that many students are consistently getting insufficient sleep, a similar point raised by many parents at Parent-Teacher meetings. The Ministry of Education turns to you for answers.
You are a health promotion specialist. What would you prioritise?
A. Educating students about the biological importance of sleep
B. Identifying students with particularly severe sleep deprivation and referring them for individual support
C. Creating conditions and interventions that make healthier sleep behaviours easier across the student population
C. Creating conditions and interventions that make healthier sleep behaviours easier across the student population
A focuses on education while B is intervention on an individual level. Health promotion is broader and focuses on helping people improve and maintain their health, including creating supportive environments.
Therefore, a health promotion specialist could develop sleep education, school initiatives and practical strategies that make healthy sleep more achievable for students.
In Taman Vista, teenagers are becoming less physically active. Many now spend their after-school hours studying, gaming, or scrolling on their phones instead of playing sports or exercising at the neighbourhood park. Parents have noticed that the sports courts are no longer being used for exercise, but for relaxation, gaming, and eating cup noodles with friends, thus raising concerns about teenagers’ physical and mental wellbeing.
You are a health promotion specialist. Which form of intervention best reflects your role?
A. Launch a campaign explaining the health risks of physical inactivity
B. Create more accessible opportunities and environments for physical activity
C. Identify teenagers who are insufficiently active and provide personalised exercise plans
B. Create more accessible opportunities and environments for physical activity
A focuses on communication while C is intervention on a personal and individual small scale level. B however addresses the conditions that shape behaviour.
Health promotion aims to create conditions that support healthier behaviours.
Therefore, a health promotion specialist would consider how access to parks, sports facilities, programmes and safe spaces could encourage more people to be physically active.
Singapore is not insulated from the impact of climate change. From 1984 to 2022, the annual mean temperature rose by 0.24°C per decade. 2024 was also one of Singapore's warmest years on record, tied with 2019 and 2016.
You are a public health planner responding to increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat. Which approach would you prioritise?
A. Educate individuals about recognising symptoms of heat-related illness
B. Develop population-level measures to reduce exposure and protect groups at greater risk
C. Expand hospital capacity to manage additional heat-related admissions
B. Develop population-level measures to reduce exposure and protect groups at greater risk
Public health planners consider how environmental risks can be prevented or reduced before they result in widespread illness.
Therefore, they would consider population-level measures such as reducing exposure to extreme heat, improving access to cooling and identifying groups who may be particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness.
The residents of Taman Vista have increasingly turned to AI chatbots for health advice, especially older residents who may struggle to access healthcare information online. However, some AI-generated responses contain convincing but inaccurate medical information. Local doctors have noticed more elderly residents arriving with delayed or inappropriate treatment, raising concerns about the potential impact on health outcomes and mortality rates.
You are a public health researcher. What would you investigate?
A. How frequently teenagers use AI for health information
B. Whether AI-generated health information is accurate, reliable and potentially harmful
C. Whether teenagers trust AI more than traditional health websites
B. Whether AI-generated health information is accurate, reliable and potentially harmful
Public health researchers consider how emerging technologies may create new risks to population health.
Therefore, they would assess the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated information, as well as whether inaccurate advice could lead to harmful health decisions or behaviours among users.
BLECH... Multiple students develop vomiting and diarrhoea after eating at the same school canteen. Parents are angry about the harm the food has caused to their children. The school looks to you for answers.
You are an environmental health specialist. What would you investigate first?
A. Whether affected students share common dietary or behavioural factors
B. Whether food handling, storage and hygiene practices could have contributed to contamination
C. Whether students received appropriate medical treatment after becoming ill
B. Whether food handling, storage and hygiene practices could have contributed to contamination
Environmental health specialists investigate how physical environments and environmental conditions can affect human health.
Therefore, an environmental health specialist would investigate factors such as food preparation, storage temperatures, hygiene practices and possible contamination to identify environmental sources of illness.
According to a recent study done by the MCCY (Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth), young people in a neighbourhood are feeling increasingly socially isolated.
You are a community health worker. What would you prioritise?
A. Developing community-based opportunities for connection based on the needs identified by residents
B. Providing individual counselling to young people experiencing loneliness
C. Conducting a survey to establish how common loneliness is among young people
A. Developing community-based opportunities for connection based on the needs identified by residents
B focuses on actual mental health intervention while C just deals with research.
Community health workers work directly with communities to understand their needs and connect people with appropriate support and resources.
Therefore, a community health worker would work with young people and community organisations to create accessible opportunities for connection, support and participation.
"Chug chug chug chug chug!!" Over the years, there has been a spike in energy-drink consumption, among teenagers aged 15-19. Parents have tried preventing their children from purchasing these drinks as they believe these drinks are "cancer causing", but to no avail as some parents lament that despite their efforts, "[their children] will always find a way around it lah". Concerned parents have taken their worries to the government, who have now turned to you for answers.
You are a biostatistician investigating this increase in energy drink consumption among teenagers aged 15-19. Which task best fits your role?
A. Analyse consumption data to identify trends and associations with relevant factors
B. Conduct interviews to understand teenagers' motivations for consuming energy drinks
C. Design a campaign encouraging teenagers to reduce their consumption
A. Analyse consumption data to identify trends and associations with relevant factors
B assumes the role of a behavioural scientist while C assume the role of a health promoter.
A assumes the role of biostatisticians, who use mathematics and statistics to analyse health data and identify meaningful patterns.
Therefore, a biostatistician could analyse information such as age, frequency of consumption, trends over time and other relevant factors to help researchers understand the issue.
This year’s El Nino is expected to bring hotter and drier weather in Singapore from June to October, overlapping with the traditional peak dengue season from May to October. Mosquitoes rely heavily on human infrastructure to breed, with the top three breeding habitats in public areas being covered perimeter drains, discarded receptacles and gully traps, according to NEA's quarterly dengue surveillance data from April to June 2026.
You are an environmental health specialist working in an area experiencing increased mosquito activity. Which intervention most directly addresses the environmental risk?
A. Increase public awareness of mosquito-bite prevention
B. Reduce environmental conditions that allow mosquitoes to breed
C. Improve access to treatment for residents who develop mosquito-borne diseases
B. Reduce environmental conditions that allow mosquitoes to breed
Environmental health specialists aim to identify and control environmental factors that contribute to disease risk.
Therefore, they would consider factors such as stagnant water and other breeding conditions, since reducing these environmental sources can help prevent mosquito populations from increasing in the first place.
In Taman Vista, vaccination rates among young parents have fallen sharply after a popular parenting influencer began claiming that childhood vaccines contain “hidden chemicals” and weaken children’s natural immunity. The posts spread rapidly through local parent WhatsApp groups, and some parents have started refusing routine vaccinations.
You are an epidemiologist. What would you investigate?
A. Whether exposure to misinformation is associated with changes in vaccination behaviour
B. Which social-media platform contains the greatest amount of misinformation
C. Which communication style people say they prefer when receiving health information
A. Whether exposure to misinformation is associated with changes in vaccination behaviour
Epidemiologists investigate patterns and relationships between exposures and health-related outcomes across populations.
Therefore, they would examine whether people exposed to vaccine misinformation are more likely to change their vaccination behaviour, while considering other factors that could also influence vaccination decisions.
Boom! Disease X hits the streets in the Year 2050, and a group of researchers have produced a new vaccine, which claims to reduce transmission rates of the disease.
You are a public health researcher evaluating a new vaccination programme. What evidence would you look for, as it would be most useful for your research?
A. Changes in disease rates among the target population before and after implementation
B. The proportion of people who report feeling more confident about the disease after the campaign
C. The number of people who received the vaccine compared with the number targeted
A. Changes in disease rates among the target population before and after implementation
Public health researchers use scientific evidence and data to determine whether health interventions are effective.
Therefore, a researcher would compare relevant health outcomes before and after the programme, while considering other factors that could have influenced the results.
You are a public health policymaker tasked with designing a school mental health programme, following the reported increase in stress levels by behavioural scientists and epidemiologists.
Which of the following approaches best reflects a population-level strategy?
A. Expand counselling services for students identified as being at high risk
B. Introduce school-wide mental-health education alongside accessible pathways to support
C. Train teachers to identify students who may require professional intervention
B. Introduce school-wide mental-health education alongside accessible pathways to support
A and C focus on dealing with higher risk individuals mostly, while public health policies tend to target and operate across the whole population.
Public health policy considers how systems and policies can influence health across entire populations.
Therefore, a policymaker would consider how to make mental-health education and support accessible to a broad range of students, including those who may not actively seek help.
The government has noticed a rise in cases of condition X in the neighbourhood and is considering introducing a population screening programme.
You are a public health physician and have been asked to assess whether the programme should be introduced. What should you consider most carefully?
A. Whether the condition can be detected earlier through screening and whether earlier detection leads to meaningful health benefits
B. Whether the screening test is sufficiently sensitive to identify as many cases as possible
C. Whether the population is likely to participate if screening is made easily accessible
A. Whether the condition can be detected earlier through screening and whether earlier detection leads to meaningful health benefits
Public health physicians consider whether health interventions provide meaningful benefits at the population level.
Therefore, they would consider factors such as how accurately the screening test works, whether early detection improves outcomes, potential harms and whether the programme is appropriate for the population.
The residents of Taman Vista are becoming less and less physically active, and the local council wants to understand why. Some question whether the neighbourhood’s environment is discouraging people from exercising.
You are an urban-health researcher investigating low physical-activity levels in Taman Vista. What factor would you investigate?
A. Whether residents understand the health benefits of exercise
B. Whether the neighbourhood's design provides safe, accessible opportunities for walking and recreation
C. Whether residents who exercise regularly have different health outcomes
B. Whether the neighbourhood's design provides safe, accessible opportunities for walking and recreation
Urban health researchers consider how the physical environment can influence people's health-related behaviours and opportunities.
Therefore, they would examine factors such as walkability, access to recreational spaces, safety and connectivity, since these features can make physical activity easier or more difficult for an entire population.
A new social-media app called Vibe suddenly becomes popular among teenagers, with some users spending 5–6 hours a day scrolling, comparing themselves with influencers, and chatting in group feeds. Within months, schools report more students complaining about poor sleep, stress, and difficulty concentrating, while other students say the app helps them maintain friendships. Researchers are investigating whether social-media use is associated with changes in teenagers’ wellbeing.
You are a behavioural scientist. Which question would be most useful?
A. How many hours teenagers spend on social media each day
B. Whether different patterns and types of social-media use are associated with different wellbeing outcomes
C. Whether teenagers believe social media is good or bad for their mental health
B. Whether different patterns and types of social-media use are associated with different wellbeing outcomes
A measures quantity, while C measures the perception. Behavioural science needs to consider how behaviours, environments and individual experiences can influence health outcomes.
Therefore, they would examine not only how much social media teenagers use, but also how they use it, what they are exposed to and whether different patterns of use are associated with different wellbeing outcomes.
An unexpected outbreak and wave of COVID-26 has just hit the streets, leaving citizens worried about the possibility of another circuit breaker. The government turns to you for answers.
You are an epidemiologist tasked to investigate this sudden outbreak. Which information would you select to be the most useful for identifying potential risk factors?
A. The demographic characteristics, locations, timing and common exposures of affected individuals
B. The clinical symptoms and treatment outcomes of affected individuals
C. The number of hospital beds available in areas experiencing the outbreak
A. The demographic characteristics, locations, timing and common exposures of affected individuals.
B helps to understand the disease from a clinical perspective, while C helps understand our local healthcare capacity.
Epidemiologists investigate who is affected, where cases occur and when they occur, allowing them to identify patterns and potential risk factors.
Therefore, an epidemiologist would compare information about people, place, time and possible exposures to understand how the disease is spreading and what might be causing the outbreak.
You are a public health researcher, and have been tasked with a research project, aimed at primarily investigating differences in mental well-being between groups of students.
What would be the most important to investigate?
A. Whether students in different groups report different levels of stress
B. Whether differences in wellbeing are associated with factors such as socioeconomic circumstances, social support and access to services
C. Whether students from different groups respond differently to the same mental-health campaign
B. Whether differences in wellbeing are associated with factors such as socioeconomic circumstances, social support and access to services
A merely identifies the difference while C examines the response post intervention.
Public health research examines broader patterns across populations and investigates why health outcomes may differ between groups.
Therefore, a researcher would examine factors such as access to resources, socioeconomic circumstances, social support and the school environment to understand differences in wellbeing.
In the year 2050, the government launched a new community health programme in Taman Vista. However, elderly residents struggled to use the online booking system, lower-income families could not afford transport to the clinic, and migrant workers faced significant language barriers.
You are a health policy specialist tasked with re-designing the programme. What should you prioritise?
A. Providing exactly the same service to everyone to ensure equal treatment
B. Identifying barriers faced by different groups and adapting the programme where appropriate
C. Prioritising groups with the highest current utilisation of healthcare services
B. Identifying barriers faced by different groups and adapting the programme where appropriate
Equality is not the same as equity. Providing everyone with the same thing doesn't necessarily give everyone the same opportunity to benefit.
Health policy considers how systems and services can affect different groups within a population.
Therefore, a health policy specialist would consider barriers such as cost, accessibility, location and availability of services to ensure that different groups can benefit from the programme, each based off their own specific needs.
Of late, environmental hazard X has spread rampantly throughout the country, causing distress to many citizens. It is reported that exposure appears to be much higher in some communities than others.
You are a public health policy specialist. What would you investigate?
A. Whether the average exposure across the entire city remains below the recommended level
B. Whether exposure and resulting health risks are disproportionately affecting particular populations
C. Whether residents are taking sufficient personal precautions against exposure
B. Whether exposure and resulting health risks are disproportionately affecting particular populations
Public health policy specialists consider not only the overall level of an environmental hazard, but also how its effects are distributed across a population.
Therefore, they would examine differences in exposure and health risks between communities, since population averages can hide situations where particular groups experience substantially greater environmental risks.
A new infectious disease called Nexora Virus (NXV-26) has emerged overseas, causing outbreaks in several countries. Singapore is preparing for the possibility of imported cases as thousands of travellers continue arriving at Changi Airport. Health authorities are monitoring international arrivals, hospitals are reviewing their isolation capacity, and the public is asking whether Singapore is prepared if community transmission begins.
You are a public health planner. Which approach best reflects preparedness?
A. Increase hospital capacity so that the healthcare system can manage severe cases
B. Establish surveillance, preparedness plans, communication strategies and coordination mechanisms before widespread transmission occurs
C. Monitor international case numbers and begin interventions only if local cases are detected
B. Establish surveillance, preparedness plans, communication strategies and coordination mechanisms before widespread transmission occurs
Public health planners consider how health systems can prepare for threats before they develop into large-scale emergencies.
Therefore, they would establish surveillance systems, response plans, communication strategies and coordination mechanisms in advance, allowing potential outbreaks to be detected and addressed before widespread transmission occurs.