New Zealand Population Research Articles

Relative importance of professional practice and engineering management competencies

ABSTRACTProblem: The professional practice of engineering always involves engineering management, but it is difficult to know what specifically to include in the undergraduate curriculum. Approach: The population of New Zealand practising engineers was surveyed to determine the importance they placed on specific professional practice and engineering management competencies. Findings: Results show that communication and project planning were the two most important topics, followed by others as identified. The context in which practitioners use communication skills was found to be primarily with project management, with secondary contexts identified. The necessity for engineers to develop the ability to use multiple soft skills in an integrative manner is strongly supported by the data. Originality: This paper is one of only a few large-scale surveys of practising engineers to have explored the soft skill attributes. It makes a didactic contribution of providing a ranked list of topics which can be used for designing the curriculum and prioritising teaching effort, which has not previously been achieved. It yields the new insight that combinations of topics are sometimes more important than individual topics.

Incidence and features of eosinophilic esophagitis in dysphagia: a prospective observational study

Objective: The incidence and symptoms associated with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) varies with geographic location, present in 7–15% dysphagic European or North American adults. We aimed to determine incidence and features of EoE in a dysphagic New Zealand population.Materials and methods: 101 consecutive patients presenting with dysphagia to a New Zealand teaching hospital completed a questionnaire (demographics and history) before upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and esophageal biopsies.Results: The incidence of EoE was 14.1% in those having esophageal biopsies. Patients with EoE were younger (median age 38 years, cohort 58 years: OR 9.2 for age ≤40; p < 0.001), more frequently male (19.1% versus 7.4% of females: OR 4.7; p < 0.05), and had longer symptom duration (median 262 weeks versus 130.6 weeks: p = NS) with non-continuous symptoms (continuous symptoms 8.3% EoE versus 16.2% cohort: p = NS). Progressive symptoms, level of dysphagia and history of allergy/atopy occurred with almost identical frequency in those with and without EoE. Classic endoscopic features of EoE had a sensitivity and specificity of 30.6 and 93.2%, respectively.Conclusions: EoE occurs in an adult dysphagic population in New Zealand with similar frequency to that reported in Europe and North America. Demographics and features of history associated with EoE are described and the need to take esophageal biopsies in this population emphasized by the relatively low sensitivity of endoscopic features for the condition.

“With a Pretty Little Garden at the Back”: Domesticity and the Construction of “Civilized” Colonial Spaces in Nineteenth-Century Aotearoa/New Zealand

Colonialism in the first years of major settlement in Aotearoa/New Zealand was defined in part by anxieties regarding gender and civilization, and by the ways in which settlers and colonial administrators expressed those anxieties through a particu-lar attention to physical spaces within the colony. This article considers the ways in which ideas about British middle-class domesticity helped to create gendered colonial spaces that were imagined through and by settler women and men; at the same time, the creation of domestic spaces was seen as a vital component of the civilization of the Māori population of New Zealand, and in particular of Māori women. While the liminality of the frontier setting allowed for the disruption of some gender and class boundaries, the construction of colonial spaces—both public and private—proved an essential component of the civilizing project in New Zealand and of the reification of colonial ideals of moral domesticity.

Mapping the stray domestic cat (Felis catus) population in New Zealand: Species distribution modelling with a climate change scenario and implications for protected areas

Species distribution models of stray cats were developed using two types of occurrence data: (i) a combined dataset of stray cats and cat colonies in Auckland and projected to the wider New Zealand area; and (ii) population density as an analogue for country-wide stray cat occurrence. These occurrence data, together with sets of environmental variables were used as input to the Maxent modelling tool to produce maps of suitability for the species. Environmental variables used in the models consist of current bioclimatic conditions, and a future climate scenario (RCP8.5 for year 2070 CCSM model). Commonly occurring bias in the modelling process due to latitude, the area for selecting background points in model evaluation, inherent spatial autocorrelation of occurrence points, and correlated bioclimatic variables were explicitly addressed. Results show that the North Island consistently provide more suitable areas for stray cats with increased suitability in a high emission climate change condition. Key protected areas at risk from the increased suitability to stray cats are also presented.

KNEMIDOKOPTINID (EPIDERMOPTIDAE: KNEMIDOKOPTINAE) MITE INFESTATION IN WILD RED-CROWNED PARAKEETS (CYANORAMPHUS NOVAEZELANDIAE): CORRELATIONS BETWEEN MACROSCOPIC AND MICROSCOPIC FINDINGS.

During a study on health and disease in Red-crowned Parakeets (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) on Tiritiri Matangi Island and Little Barrier Island (Hauturu-o-Toi) in New Zealand between 2011 and 2013, an outbreak of feather loss prompted the collection of skin biopsies (n = 135) under anesthesia from the head of captured birds. A subset of samples (n = 7) was frozen to obtain whole specimens for identification of ectoparasites. Mites (range 1-11) were observed in 79/135 (58.5%) skin biopsies, whereas feather loss was only found in 47/142 (33.1%) birds captured during the sampling period. Compact orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis and acanthosis were found in association with mites. Procnemidocoptes janssensi (Acari: Epidermoptidae, Knemidokoptinae) was identified from whole mites obtained from skin biopsies. We describe the presence, pathology, and stages of infestation for knemidokoptinid mange in a wild parrot population in New Zealand. Given the clinical and pathologic changes observed and poor knowledge of the parasite's New Zealand host and geographic distribution, further work is recommended for this and sympatric parrots, to understand relationships between the host, parasite, environment, and expression of disease. Results from this study reinforce the value of including biopsy samples for the investigation of skin disease in wild birds, particularly to link etiologic agents with pathologic changes.

An evaluation of nearly-extinct cohort methods for estimating the very elderly populations of australia and new zealand.

The rapid growth of very elderly populations requires accurate population estimates up to the highest ages. However, it is recognised that estimates derived from census counts are often unreliable. Methods that make use of death data have not previously been evaluated for Australia and New Zealand. The aim was to evaluate a number of nearly-extinct cohort methods for producing very elderly population estimates by age and sex for Australia and New Zealand. The accuracy of official estimates was also assessed. Variants of three nearly-extinct cohort methods, the Survivor Ratio method, the Das Gupta method and a new method explicitly allowing for falling mortality over time, were evaluated by retrospective application over the period 1976-1996. Estimates by sex and single years of age were compared against numbers derived from the extinct cohort method. Errors were measured by the Weighted Mean Absolute Percentage Error. It is confirmed that for Australian females the Survivor Ratio method constrained to official estimates for ages 90+ performed well. However, for Australian males and both sexes in New Zealand, more accurate estimates were obtained by constraining the Survivor Ratio method to official estimates for ages 85+. Official estimates in Australia proved reasonably accurate for ages 90+ but at 100+ they varied significantly in accuracy from year to year. Estimates produced by Statistics New Zealand in aggregate for ages 90+ proved very accurate. We recommend the use of the Survivor Ratio method constrained to official estimates for ages 85+ to create very elderly population estimates for Australia and New Zealand.

Family acceptability of school-based echocardiographic screening for rheumatic heart disease in a high-risk population in New Zealand.

Echocardiographic screening for rheumatic heart disease has been piloted in high-risk areas in New Zealand and internationally, and fulfils most of the criteria for a targeted screening programme. The question of acceptability of rheumatic heart disease screening has not been assessed, and the aim of our study was to assess parental acceptability of a school-based echocardiographic screening programme in a high-risk population in New Zealand. A post-screening questionnaire was developed to survey parents of children who underwent echocardiographic screening. The families of 34 children with abnormal scan results and a sample of 80 children with normal scan results were surveyed by phone within 4 months of screening. Positive results were seen in all survey questions in both normal and abnormal scan groups. All families were supportive of an ongoing screening programme. Of children with abnormal results, 62% of their parents reported that they would treat their child differently; however, all responses were positive health-promoting outcomes. The study showed strong positive support for school-based echocardiographic screening by a community with high acute rheumatic fever incidence. The study did not detect any short-term negative effects in those with abnormal results. The survey result shows family and community support for the establishment of echocardiographic screening programmes in high acute rheumatic fever areas provided there is adequate infrastructural support.

Development of a structured diabetes self-management education program specific to the cultural and ethnic population of New Zealand.

To develop and pilot a diabetes self-management education (DSME) program specific to the needs of New Zealanders with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). There were two parts in the present study. The first was the development of the program. This involved a literature review, consultation with end-user groups and drafting the content of the program. In the second part, the program was tested and modified according to feedback provided by both participants and facilitators. The present study achieved its primary goal of developing, piloting and modifying a DSME program specific to the New Zealand population. The DSME program was developed using concepts and content of international DSME programs. The content and concept was extensively tested via discussion groups with 71 individuals with T2DM and practice nurses to ensure the program met the unique cultural needs of New Zealanders with T2DM. Twenty-seven participants with T2DM were recruited into the pilot, of which 13 attended four of six sessions. Feedback from participants, observing nurses and facilitators was incorporated into the final program. DSME programs are an effective vehicle for providing individuals with T2DM the initial information and support to start self-managing their diabetes. However, to ensure DSME programs help individuals with the highest rates of diabetes and diabetes-related complications, it is important end-users participate in the development of the program. This DSME program now requires longitudinal trial to determine if in the New Zealand context it is able generate the same improvements in both clinical and qualitative outcomes as seen in similar international programs.

Stigma, lack of knowledge and prevalence maintain HIV risk among Black Africans in New Zealand

ObjectiveThe AfricaNZ Health project aimed explore HIV risks in Black African communities in NZ with a view to informing HIV infection prevention and health promotion programs. MethodsAfricaNZ Health was completed in two phases. The first developed desk estimates of the resident Black African population in New Zealand, and Africans living with HIV. The second comprised two arms: an anonymous survey administered at African community events and a series of focus groups around the country. ResultsHigh levels of knowledge and positive attitudes about HIV were more often found in older than younger age groups. Condom use was higher in the younger group than in older age groups. Traditional attitudes still inform some beliefs about HIV. Stigma about HIV and anyone at risk for HIV remains very high among Africans. Western sexual identity constructs are not meaningful. ConclusionsA culturally informed strategy for risk and stigma reduction is urgently needed. ImplicationsThe existing prevention and care infrastructure, informed by MSM experiences, must address increased risk to Black African new settlers, but this is not a reason to discriminate or further stigmatise an already vulnerable population.

Millennium Development Goals: progress in Oceania

For the purposes of this commentary, Oceania is understood to encompass the Pacific Island states of Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia including Papua New Guinea (PNG) (but excluding the western half...

Redefining expectations of long-term survival after the Fontan procedure: 25 years of follow-up from the entire population of Australia and New Zealand

Redefining expectations of long-term survival after the Fontan procedure: 25 years of follow-up from the entire population of Australia and New Zealand

Temporal Trends in Polypharmacy and Hyperpolypharmacy in Older New Zealanders over a 9-Year Period: 2005-2013

Background: Polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy are proxy indicators for inappropriate medicine use. Inappropriate medicine use in older people leads to adverse clinical outcomes. Objective: The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence and trends of polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy in older people in New Zealand from 2005 to 2013, analyzing the pharmaceutical collections maintained by the Ministry of Health. Methods: A repeated cross-sectional analysis of population-level dispensing data was conducted from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2013. Polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy in individuals were defined as the use of 5-9 medicines and ≥10 medicines, respectively, dispensed concurrently for a period of ≥90 days. Differences in polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy between 2005 and 2013 were examined. A multinomial regression model was used to predict sociodemographic characteristics associated with polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy. Results: Polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy were found to be higher in 2013 compared to 2005 (polypharmacy: 29.5 vs. 23.4%, p < 0.001; hyperpolypharmacy: 2.1 vs. 1.3%, p < 0.001). The risk of polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy was higher in females, in those aged 80-84 years, in the Māori population (for polypharmacy) and the Middle Eastern, Latin American, or African population (for hyperpolypharmacy), in people living in the Southern-district health board, and in individuals with increasing deprivation. Conclusion: The population of New Zealand is aging and the number of older people with multiple chronic conditions is increasing. The proportion of older people exposed to polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy has increased in 2013 compared to 2005. Our study provides important information to alert health policy makers, researchers, and clinicians about the dire need to reduce the medication burden in older New Zealanders.

An extremely low-density human population exterminated New Zealand moa.

New Zealand moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) are the only late Quaternary megafauna whose extinction was clearly caused by humans. New Zealand offers the best opportunity to estimate the number of people involved in a megafaunal extinction event because, uniquely, both the Polynesian settlement of New Zealand and moa extinction are recent enough to be dated with a high degree of precision. In addition, the founding human population can be estimated from genetic evidence. Here we show that the Polynesian population of New Zealand would not have exceeded 2,000 individuals before extinction of moa populations in the habitable areas of the eastern South Island. During a brief (<150 years) period and at population densities that never exceeded ~0.01 km(-2), Polynesians exterminated viable populations of moa by hunting and removal of habitat. High human population densities are not required in models of megafaunal extinction.

Labour force participation and well-being among older New Zealanders

The population of New Zealand, along with those of other developed countries, is ageing rapidly. The rate of population ageing is unprecedented, with the number of New Zealanders aged 65 years and over projected to increase from 553,000 in 2009 to 1.07 million in 2031, and to 1.44 million in 2061 (Statistics New Zealand, 2010). Importantly, the ratio of those aged 65 years and over to those aged 15–64 is projected to increase from 0.19 (older people per person aged 15–64) in 2009 to 0.34 in 2031 and to 0.43 in 2061. This more than doubling of the ratio of older people to those in the prime working and income-earning ages represents a dramatic demographic shift which has implications for New Zealand.

Associations between diet quality and mental health in socially disadvantaged New Zealand adolescents.

To examine the relationship between diet quality and mental health in an ethnically diverse adolescent population in New Zealand. Cross-sectional, population-based study design. Data were available at baseline for 4249 students. Responses from self-reported dietary questionnaires were used to assess diet quality; healthy eating and unhealthy eating were assessed as two separate scales. Mental health was assessed by the emotional subscale of the PedsQL instrument. Eating a healthy diet was significantly associated with better emotional health (P<0.001) and eating an unhealthy diet was significantly associated with greater emotional distress (P<0.001), after controlling for age, ethnicity and gender. The healthy and unhealthy eating scales were independently related to mental health scores. These findings contribute to a growing body of literature that diet quality is associated with mental health in adolescents. Further research is warranted to determine whether improvements to the diets of adolescents can have meaningful improvements to mental well-being.

Impact of reassociation with a coevolved herbivore on oviposition deterrence in a hostplant.

Although selection by herbivores for increased feeding deterrence in hostplants is well documented, selection for increased oviposition deterrence is rarely examined. We investigated chemical mediation of oviposition by the parsnip webworm (Depressaria pastinacella) on its principal hostplant Pastinaca sativa to determine whether ovipositing adults choose hostplants based on larval suitability and whether hostplants experience selection for increased oviposition deterrence. Webworms consume floral tissues and florivory selects for increased feeding deterrents; moths, however, oviposit on leaves of pre-bolting plants. Exclusive use of different plant parts for oviposition and larval feeding suggests oviposition should select for increased foliar deterrents. Recent webworm colonization of New Zealand (NZ) allowed us to assess phenotypic changes in foliar chemicals in response to webworm oviposition. In a common garden experiment, we compared NZ populations with and without a history of infestation from 2004 to 2006 for changes in leaf chemistry in response to oviposition. Three leaf volatiles, cis- and trans-ocimene, and β-farnesene, elicit strong responses in female moth antennae; these compounds were negatively associated with oviposition and are likely oviposition deterrents. Leaf β-farnesene was positively correlated with floral furanocoumarins that deter florivory; greater oviposition on plants with low floral furanocoumarins indicates that moths preferentially oviposit on parsnips most suitable for larval growth. Unlike florivory, high oviposition on leaves did not lower plant fitness, consistent with the fact that NZ parsnip foliar chemistry was unaffected by 3-6 years of webworm infestation. Thus, in this system, selection by ovipositing moths on foliar chemistry is weaker than selection by larvae on floral chemistry.

(Un)conditional hospitality: The host experience of the Polynesian community in Auckland

Abstract There is an increased attention to the visiting friends and relatives phenomenon for destinations, yet the hosting experience is still neglected. One group of prolific hosts comprises the Polynesian families in Auckland, New Zealand, who are the focus of this study. In-depth interviews were conducted with eleven Pacifica people in Auckland to understand the experiences associated with hosting family from the Islands. Hosting relatives from the Pacific Islands is embedded in the cultural responsibilities of belonging to the Polynesian community and diaspora. The findings highlight the more unconditional nature of Polynesian hospitality with its emphasis on cultural connectedness, generativity and reciprocity as part of social capital formation. The contribution of providing hospitality through hosting deserves more attention for its integral role in social life. There are also obligatory aspects of reciprocity, inconveniences and responsibilities within Polynesian hospitality adding strain to an already vulnerable and marginalized population in New Zealand. More debate is needed about the sustainability of this notion of unconditional or obligated hospitality within modern society.

Western Sport and Spiritualism

Abstract Sport activity of achievement-oriented (professional, Olympic, spectacular character) is first of all exposition of rivalry and striving for variously understood sports success (resulting from measurable or discretionary criteria). It refers to winning a competition or taking another expected place as well as to other forms of satisfaction, such as financial gratification or social (political, ethnic, professional) recognition. Spirituality is here neither an aim, nor an expected value - it constitutes rather an additional or redundant quality. A competitor focuses his/her attention first of all on the main aim assumed in planned or current rivalry. Emotional sensations which are experienced by athletes before, during or after competitions testify to mental and emotional stress which accompanies sports combat. It is also difficult to associate spirituality or spiritualism with sport for all - like, for example, that of health-oriented character - sport of the disabled, physical education, sport of playful character or physical recreation. That difficulty results from the fact that neither spiritualism, nor spirituality inspires for physical activity in the abovementioned fields; neither spiritualism, nor spirituality is the outcome of activity in the realm of sport for all. Exceptions are constituted by ancient Olympic Games as well as by some experiences connected with recreational forms of tourism mediated through achievement-oriented sport (also by pre-Columbian Native American societies and Maoris aboriginal population of New Zealand). For example Hellenic Olympic Games were a highly spiritualized form of sports rivalry - including also rivalry in the field of art, and especially in the field of theatre. They were one of numerous forms of religious cult - of worshipping chosen gods from the Olympic pantheon. On the other hand, during mountain hiking and mountain climbing there can appear manifestations of deepened spirituality characteristic for the object of spiritualization of non-religious, quasi-religious or strictly religious qualities. I would like to explain - at the end of this short abstract - that spiritualism (which should not be confused with spiritism) is - generally speaking - first of all a philosophical term assuming, in ontological and axiological sense, that spiritual reality, self-knowledge, consciousness or mental experiences are components of the human being - components of a higher order having priority over matter. They constitute, in the anthropological context, beings of a higher order than the body. Spiritualism according to its popular interpretation means spirituality. Qualities which are ascribed to that notion in particular societies can be determined on the basis of empirically oriented sociological research. They make it possible to determine various ways of interpreting and understanding that notion as well as views or attitudes connected with it.

The effectiveness of seasonal trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in preventing laboratory confirmed influenza hospitalisations in Auckland, New Zealand in 2012

BackgroundFew studies report the effectiveness of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) in preventing hospitalisation for influenza-confirmed respiratory infections. Using a prospective surveillance platform, this study reports the first such estimate from a well-defined ethnically diverse population in New Zealand (NZ). MethodsA case test-negative design was used to estimate propensity adjusted vaccine effectiveness. Patients with a severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), defined as a patient of any age requiring hospitalisation with a history of a fever or a measured temperature ≥38°C and cough and onset within the past 7 days, admitted to public hospitals in South and Central Auckland were eligible for inclusion in the study. Cases were SARI patients who tested positive for influenza, while non-cases (controls) were SARI patients who tested negative. Results were adjusted for the propensity to be vaccinated and the timing of the influenza season. ResultsThe propensity and season adjusted vaccine effectiveness (VE) was estimated as 39% (95% CI 16;56). The VE point estimate against influenza A (H1N1) was lower than for influenza B or influenza A (H3N2) but confidence intervals were wide and overlapping. Estimated VE was 59% (95% CI 26;77) in patients aged 45–64 years but only 8% (−78;53) in those aged 65 years and above. ConclusionProspective surveillance for SARI has been successfully established in NZ. This study for the first year, the 2012 influenza season, has shown low to moderate protection by TIV against influenza positive hospitalisation.

Using Mixed Methods to Build Research Capacity Within the Spinal Cord Injured Population of New Zealand

In 2007, a 4-year longitudinal study of all people admitted to the two New Zealand spinal units commenced. It aims to (a) explore interrelationship(s) of body, self, and society for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and (b) investigate how entitlement to rehabilitation and compensation through New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Corporation affects socioeconomic and health outcomes. Working within the emancipatory-transformative research paradigm, an underlying aim was to build research capacity among people with SCI by recruiting them onto the research team (in addition to the principal investigator who has a SCI). The primary focus of this article is not on the findings of the study but on building research capacity in the SCI population of New Zealand, which emerged from our commitment to the study being ethical and emancipatory. This will involve a consideration of what constitutes ethical disability research, the research paradigm chosen, assembling the research team, and the flexibility provided by the use of mixed methods to achieve these ends.