Health Innovation Programme (HIP) Behavioural Science in Chronic Disease Management: Understanding the Health and Non-Health Beliefs of People with Diabetes

The prevalence of diabetes presents a troubling landscape with nearly one in ten adults diagnosed with this chronic disease worldwide. Although interventions may reduce the risk of diabetes-associated complications, the effectiveness of such interventions relies largely on patients’ adherence to medication and lifestyle modifications, which have typically been extremely low.

This project examines this issue from a psychological perspective by:

1. exploring the drivers of people’s motivations in their self-care behaviours;

2. identifying lay belief gaps that may pose barriers to healthy self-care choices; and

3. developing interventions that may correct erroneous beliefs.

The findings from 2-3 ongoing population surveys of individuals with and without diabetes in Singapore and the US are expected to inform the development of future interventions that may target misperceptions of health risks and encourage behavioural changes toward improving health outcomes.

To support her study, IPUR is excited to share that two seed grants have been secured to support the next phase of the project to develop interventions.