Exploring the Influence of Work Culture on the Dietary and Other Health Related Practices of Singaporean Young Adults

Abstract

Globalisation, international competition, and high living costs have placed Singaporean young adults under pressure to work long hours to earn a living, provide for their family, and save for the future. This leaves less time for self-care and recreation. Simultaneously, evidence is mounting that Singaporeans have unhealthy diets and insufficient physical activity, putting them at risk of gaining weight and developing chronic, obesity-related diseases. This has implications for the nation's well-being, productivity, and economy. Recognising this, the government has promoted healthy eating and healthy lifestyles through public health campaigns and programmes. This study explores how work culture, in tandem with other sociocultural determinants, influences young workers' everyday living and health-related practices. Taking a focused ethnographic approach, I conducted a year of fieldwork in Singapore, employing semi-structured interviews, participant observation, time-use diaries, questionnaires, and photo-elicitation to capture a detailed picture of young adults' everyday work, dietary practices, and physical activity patterns. The overarching approach that guided the exploration and interpretation of the findings was the social determinants of health, with a focus on time as a determinant of health. A total of 15 male and 18 female research participants, aged between 21 and 36 years, were recruited to the study through purposive and snowball sampling. They worked at least 38 hours a week, were either Singaporean citizens or permanent residents, and were mainly white-collared professionals. This study finds that multiple elements, such as young workers' pursuit of financial security and stability, the highly accessible and affordable local foodscape, and urban planning, buttress Singapore's dominant work culture that normalises long working hours. This is supported further by the sociocultural values of Singapore's predominantly Chinese population that promote a strong work ethic, family ties, and social bonds all maintained by commensality. I argue that the interactions between these elements may discourage health-promoting practices among young adults who spend their limited recreational time recuperating from work by either relaxing at home or socialising, often over meals. As few young adults have health problems, they tend to be non-reflexive about their health practices and ignore public health campaigns that encourage individualised responsibility for exercise and healthy diets. I argue that the sociocultural contexts of young peoples' employment discourage healthy habits in their everyday lives. My findings suggest that policy could extend the government's current efforts to address the work culture and the healthiness of commercially available foods while health promotion campaigns could better engage young adults by recognising their need for sociability. Show more