New Zealand Population Research Articles

The Place of S Genotype of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Which is Endemic to the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), in the Global Phylogeny according to Results of Whole-Genome Sequencing

The objective: to assess the stability of circulation of S genotype and S-like strains of M. tuberculosis (MTB) in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) over a 12-year period and perform their phylogenetic identification relative to the L4.4 Euro-American subline.Subjects and Methods. Between 2009 and 2022, 513 MTB strains isolated from pulmonary tuberculosis patients were studied using molecular genetic methods. 92 isolates belonging to S genotype or having an S-like genetic profile were found. Whole-genome sequencing of five strains of S genotype that circulated in the territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in 2020-2022 was carried out. A global phylogenetic analysis was performed and evolutionary relationship of the obtained genomes was determined, a RT-PCR test was developed for the rapid detection of S genotype strains.Results. In the territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), there is a stable circulation of S and S-like MTB genotypes belonging to the L4.4 Euro-American subline, the L4.4.1.1 subtype. The evolutionary model has confirmed the previously stated hypothesis that the spread of the S genotype among the indigenous population of Yakutia is associated with mass exposure to the Russian settlers which started from the beginning of the 17th century.Conclusion. Spread of MTB strains of the L4.4 Euro-American subline, L4.4.1.1 subtype, among the indigenous populations of New Zealand, Canada and Yakutia in the 17th-19th centuries is very similar.

Understanding Middle Eastern parents’ expectations for their children’s early education in New Zealand: Early childhood teachers’ perspectives

The Middle Eastern population in New Zealand has grown significantly in the past two decades. However, little is known about Middle Eastern parents’ expectations and their children’s experiences of the New Zealand early education system. The PhD research on which this article is based was an attempt to address this gap. The findings discussed in this article derive from semistructured interviews with four case-study teachers. Using thematic analysis and drawing on constructs from critical multiculturalism and funds of knowledge, I argue that there is a lack of congruence between the early childhood discourses promoted by the New Zealand teachers and Middle Eastern parents’ expectations for their children’s early education. Possible implications for early childhood pedagogy are suggested to meet the needs of increasingly ethnically and culturally diverse early childhood educational contexts.

Identifying Preferred Appearance and Functional Requirements of Aged Care Robots Among Older Chinese Immigrants: Cross-Sectional Study.

Older Chinese immigrants constitute the largest older Asian ethnic population in New Zealand. Aging in a foreign land can be complex, presenting increasing challenges for gerontology scholars, practitioners, and policy makers. Older Chinese immigrants are more susceptible to experiencing loneliness and social isolation compared to native older people, primarily due to language, transportation, and cultural barriers. These factors subsequently impact their physical and mental health. With advancements in robotic technology, aged care robots are being applied to support older people with their daily living needs. However, studies on using robots with older immigrants living in the community are sparse. Their preferences for the appearance and function of aged care robots are unclear, which impacts the acceptance and usability of robots, highlighting the need for a user-centered design approach. This study aims to explore older Chinese immigrants' needs and preferences toward the appearance and function of aged care robots and to examine their relationships with the demographic characteristics of participants. A cross-sectional design was used in this study, which was undertaken between March and May 2020. A total of 103 participants completed a web-based survey. The average age of participants was 68.7 (SD 5.5) years. The results suggest that 41.7% (n=43) of the 103 participants preferred a humanlike adult appearance, while 32% (n=33) suggested an animallike appearance. These participants reported higher scores in both rigorousness and friendliness compared to others who preferred different robot appearances. Participants expressed a greater preference for the functions of housework assistance (n=86, 83.5%), language translation (n=79, 76.7%), health monitoring (n=78, 75.7%), facial expressions (n=77, 74.8%), news reading (n=66, 64.1%), and security monitoring (n=65, 63.1%). These preferences were found to be significantly associated with marital status, financial status, and duration of immigration. To support immigrant populations to age well in a foreign country and address the growing shortage of health and social professionals, it is important to develop reliable robotic technology services that are tailored based on the needs and preferences of individuals. We collected and compared the perspectives of immigrant and nonimmigrant participants on using robots to support aging in place. The results on users' needs and preferences inform robotic technology services, indicating a need to prioritize older Chinese immigrants' preference toward aged care robots that perform housework assistance, language translation, and health and safety monitoring, and robots with humanlike features.

Measuring memory: A survey of neuropsychological practice amongst New Zealand psychologists

This study sought to explore patterns of memory assessment in neuropsychological practice within New Zealand (NZ), to compare it to that previously described in Europe, North America and Australia, and to consider the implications for neuropsychology training in NZ. 80 NZ-registered psychologists completed an online survey asking them how frequently they utilized 50 commonly used tests of memory. Participants were also asked about their main areas of specialty, work context and demographic information. Whilst participants appeared, broadly, to utilize a similar set of ‘core’ tests to their colleagues in Europe, Australia and North America, there were a number of tests and test domains that were rarely utilized by NZ psychologists, in contrast to overseas samples. Furthermore, several of the tests in common usage have been shown to have significant validity issues for use with an NZ population. Overall, this study suggests that most NZ psychologists employ a similar approach to memory assessment, typically relying upon a small number of well-known tests. This appears to contrast with a greater variability of practice shown in studies of European, North American and Australian psychologists and raises several interesting questions for the future development of neuropsychology in NZ.

Resilience: The key for Colombian refugees to integrate into New Zealand

Objective: This study explores the role of resilience in facilitating the integration of Colombian refugees in New Zealand. Due to the lack of research on this specific population in New Zealand, this study was conducted to address the gap in academic literature. Methodology: This study used ethnography and oral history as its methodological approaches, conducting 12 oral history interviews with the participants. Additionally, four participants presented written personal diaries, resulting in a total of 13 Colombian refugees participating in the study. Findings: The findings showed that resilience has been the key factor enabling Colombian refugees to achieve successful integration in New Zealand. Conclusion: This study demonstrates how resilience has been instrumental in empowering Colombian refugees to navigate and overcome the challenges of integration in the country, including lack of English proficiency, mental health problems, discrimination, and unemployment.

The estimated health impact of alcohol interventions in New Zealand: A modelling study.

To estimate the health impacts of key modelled alcohol interventions among Māori (indigenous peoples) and non-Māori in New Zealand (NZ). Multi-stage life-table intervention modelling study. We modelled two scenarios: (1) business-as-usual (BAU); and (2) an intervention package scenario that included a 50% alcohol tax increase, outlet density reduction from 63 to five outlets per 100 000 people, outlet hours reduction from 112 to 50 per week and a complete ban on all forms of alcohol marketing. The model's population replicates the 2018 NZ population by ethnicity (Māori/non-Māori), age and sex. Alcohol consumption was estimated using nationally representative survey data combined with sales data and corrected for tourist and unrecorded consumption. Disease incidence, prevalence and mortality were calculated using Ministry of Health data. We used dose-response relationships between alcohol and illness from the 2016 Global Burden of Disease study and calculated disability rates for each illness. Changes in consumption were based on the following effect sizes: total intervention package [-30.3%, standard deviation (SD) = 0.02); tax (-7.60%, SD = 0.01); outlet density (-8.64%, SD = 0.01); outlet hours (-9.24%, SD = 0.01); and marketing (-8.98%, SD = 0.02). We measured health gain using health-adjusted life years (HALYs) and life expectancy. Compared with the BAU scenario, the total alcohol intervention package resulted in 726 000 [95% uncertainty interval (UI) = 492 000-913 000] HALYs gained during the life-time of the modelled population. Māori experienced greater HALY gains compared with non-Māori (0.21, 95% UI = 0.14-0.26 and 0.16, 95% UI = 0.11-0.20, respectively). When modelled individually, each alcohol intervention within the intervention package produced similar health gains (~200 000 HALYs per intervention) owing to the similar effect sizes. Modelled interventions for increased alcohol tax, reduced availability of alcohol and a ban on alcohol marketing among Māori and non-Māori in New Zealand (NZ) suggest substantial population-wide health gains and reduced health inequities between Māori and non-Māori.

Indigenous Peoples' Experience and Understanding of Menstrual and Gynecological Health in Australia, Canada and New Zealand: A Scoping Review.

There are a variety of cultural and religious beliefs and customs worldwide related to menstruation, and these often frame discussing periods and any gynecological issues as taboo. While there has been previous research on the impact of these beliefs on menstrual health literacy, this has almost entirely been confined to low- and middle-income countries, with very little information on high-income countries. This project used the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology to systematically map the extent and range of evidence of health literacy of menstruation and gynecological disorders in Indigenous people in the colonized, higher-income countries of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. PubMed, CINHAL, PsycInfo databases, and the grey literature were searched in March 2022. Five studies from Australia and New Zealand met the inclusion criteria. Only one of the five included studies focused exclusively on menstrual health literacy among the Indigenous population. Despite considerable research on menstrual health globally, studies focusing on understanding the menstrual health practices of the Indigenous populations of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada are severely lacking, and there is little to no information on how Indigenous beliefs of colonized people may differ from the broader society in which they live.

Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis in Leptospermum scoparium (Myrtaceae) supports two highly differentiated endemic species in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia

Leptospermum scoparium is the basis of a flourishing honey industry in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) and Australia. The genetic structure of L. scoparium across its range in NZ and Australia was previously assessed using pooled, whole genome sequencing; however, only one sampling site in Tasmania was included. Here, we used a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array for genotyping samples of L. scoparium collected in natural stands around Tasmania and NZ, to determine the genetic relationship between L. scoparium individuals from the two regions. In total, 2069 high quality, polymorphic SNP markers were applied across the sample set of 504 individuals, revealing that Tasmanian L. scoparium are genetically distinct from NZ mānuka, confirming the observation from the pooled whole genome sequencing project. FST and discriminant analysis of principal components confirmed that the Tasmanian populations are well differentiated genetically from NZ populations, suggesting that they should be recognised as a separate, endemic Australian species. Within NZ, eight geographic groups are distinguished with genotypic variation exhibiting north to south landscape scale patterns with regional genetic clusters. We found support for isolation by distance, and this was reflected in the range of pairwise FST values estimated between NZ genetic clusters (0.056 to 0.356); however, each geographic genetic group exhibits geneflow and is only weakly differentiated from neighbouring clusters as evidenced by low population differentiation (low pairwise FST). These data provide little support for taxonomic revision and subdividing L. scoparium into segregate species within NZ.

Habitual Dietary Patterns, Nutrient Intakes, and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet among New Zealand Adults: The NZ MED Cross-Sectional Study.

There is increasing evidence that adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern reduces the incidence of diet-related diseases. To date, the habitual dietary intake of New Zealand (NZ) adults has not been examined in relation to its alignment with a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern. This study aimed to define the habitual dietary patterns, nutrient intakes, and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in a sample of 1012 NZ adults (86% female, mean age 48 ± 16 years) who had their diabetes risk defined by the Australian Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool (AUSDRISK). Dietary intakes were collected using a validated semi-quantitative NZ food frequency questionnaire, and dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis. Reported intakes from the FFQ were used in conjunction with the Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS) to determine adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern. Mixed linear models were used to analyze the association between dietary patterns and MSDPS with demographics, health factors, and nutrient intakes. Two distinct dietary patterns were identified: Discretionary (positive loadings on processed meat, meat/poultry, fast food, sweet drinks, and sugar, sweets, and baked good) and Guideline (positive loadings on vegetables, eggs/beans, and fruits). Adherence to dietary patterns and diet quality was associated with age and ethnicity. Dietary patterns were also associated with sex. Adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern defined by the MSDPS was low, indicating that a significant shift in food choices will be required if the Mediterranean Diet is to be adopted in the NZ population.

Measuring the missing: Knowledge, risk perceptions and self-protection practices of COVID-19 among the Asian population in New Zealand: An online survey

AimAsians are the second largest and fastest growing non-European population in New Zealand but are under-researched in terms of their COVID-19 pandemic response. The paper aims to illustrates Asians’ risk perceptions and knowledge of COVID-19, and self-protection practices to avoid infection and prevent community transmission.Subject and methodsAn online survey was used to collect data and received 402 valid responses. Data analyses included: 1) a descriptive analysis by using Chi-square tests and a Kruskal-Wallis rank sum tests to explore associations between responses and the four demographic variables (i.e. age, gender, country of origin/ethnicity, and region); and 2) a correlation analysis between different survey objectives.ResultsThe descriptive analysis of the survey found that while ethnicity (within the Asian category) was the most influential variable that resulted in varying responses to many questions, gender and age were other two important variables in influencing the answering patterns. The correlation analysis found a positive correlation between the perceived ‘dangerousness’ of COVID-19 and respondents’ overall compliance behaviour to New Zealand authorities’ recommendations to prevent spread of COVID-19.ConclusionThe majority of the respondents provided correct answers to the questions about the vulnerable populations, symptoms, asymptomatic transmission and potential sequelae of COVID-19; however, their understanding of the availability of a cure for, and the incubation period of COVID-19 was not consistent with the official information. The research also found that the higher perceived dangerousness of COVID-19, the better compliance to self-protection practices among the surveyed population.

New Zealand patients have a higher melanoma burden in sentinel nodes and completion lymphadenectomy than patients in MSLT-II

New Zealand has the highest rate of melanoma-related mortality in the world. Access to immunotherapy and radiology is limited and surgical treatment of regional disease remains important. A recent pilot study of a single health district observed a higher nodal melanoma burden than was reported in the second Multicentre Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial (MSLT-II). In this study, a series of regional censuses were undertaken covering the 10 years immediately prior to the publication of MSLT-II. The study population was seven District Health Boards covering 62.2% of the population of New Zealand across a 10-year period preceding MSLT-II. The primary outcomes measured were the size of sentinel lymph node metastases and non-sentinel node (NSN) positivity on completion lymph node dissection (CLND) for patients with a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). In the 2323 SLNB identified, the mean sentinel lymph node metastatic deposit size was larger compared to MSLT-II (2.55 vs. 1.07/1.11mm). A greater proportion of New Zealand patients (44.2%) had metastatic deposits larger than 1mm compared to MSLT-II (33.2/34.5%) and the rate of non-sentinel node involvement on CLND was also higher (22.2% vs. 11.5%). These findings indicate that New Zealand is a high-risk population for nodal melanoma metastases. Due to these differences, the conclusions of MSLT-II may not be able to be applied to melanoma patients in the 7 regions studied in New Zealand.

Unmasking hidden disparities: a comparative observational study examining the impact of different rurality classifications for health research in Aotearoa New Zealand

ObjectivesExamine the impact of two generic—urban–rural experimental profile (UREP) and urban accessibility (UA)—and one purposely built—geographic classification for health (GCH)—rurality classification systems on the identification of rural–urban health disparities in...

Combining Outreach and Cross-sectional Research to Gather Children's Soil Values in Aotearoa New Zealand: Protocol for the Mixed Methods Soilsafe Kids Program.

Soil underpins most terrestrial systems; hence, its degradation should concern everyone. In 2021, Soilsafe Aotearoa surveyed the adult population of New Zealand about how they value soil, particularly values related to how they care about and are concerned about soil. Pursuant to this study, Soilsafe Kids (the outreach branch of Soilsafe Aotearoa) developed a combined research and outreach program to collect a supplemental data set of children's soil values, so both adults' and children's voices can be considered when understanding the implications of different practices and how to care for presently "uncared for" or neglected soils in the future. The program not only asks primary school students about their soil values but also aims to teach them about soil from many disciplinary perspectives to enhance their understanding and awareness of soil, and, more broadly, for knowledge production. Here we describe the research protocol used in this Soilsafe Kids program. This program uses surveys (in the form of worksheets), focus groups (introduced as group discussions), and art projects to learn what children think about soil in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. We have received ethics approval from the University of Auckland's Human Participants Ethics Committee (reference number 23556) on March 25, 2022, for 3 years. We have begun recruiting participants and delivering the Soilsafe Kids program in schools across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Our data collection is ongoing with final student engagement in the first quarter of 2023. We expect to analyze data at the start of 2023 and to disseminate results later this year. Once this study is complete, we will disseminate the final results to the research community, stakeholders, and the local community through conference presentations, journal articles, hui (meetings), on our website, and in art exhibits. We note that although Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is home to the majority of people living in Aotearoa New Zealand, the Auckland region only represents a small portion of Aotearoa New Zealand's land, and findings are not generalizable to Aotearoa New Zealand as a whole. DERR1-10.2196/43390.

Predicting biomass of resident kōkopu (Galaxias) populations using local habitat characteristics.

With the global decline of freshwater fishes, quantifying the body size-specific habitat use of vulnerable species is crucial for accurately evaluating population health, identifying the effects of anthropogenic stressors, and directing effective habitat restoration. Populations of New Zealand's endemic kōkopu species (Galaxias fasciatus, G. argenteus, and G. postvectis) have declined substantially over the last century in response to anthropogenic stressors, including habitat loss, migratory barriers, and invasive species. Despite well-understood habitat associations, key within-habitat features underpinning the reach-scale biomass of small and large kōkopu remain unclear. Here, we investigated whether the total biomass of large (> 90 mm) size classes of each kōkopu species and the composite biomass of all small (≤ 90 mm) kōkopu were associated with components of the physical environment that provided refuge and prey resources across fifty-seven 50-m stream reaches. Because kōkopu are nocturnal, populations were sampled by removal at night using headlamps and hand-nets until reaches were visually depleted. Based on Akaike's information criterion, greater large banded kōkopu biomass was most parsimoniously explained by greater pool volume and forest cover, greater large giant kōkopu biomass by greater bank cover and pool volume, and greater large shortjaw kōkopu biomass by greater substrate size and pool volume. In contrast, greater composite small kōkopu biomass was best explained by smaller substrate size, reduced bank cover, and greater pool volume. Local habitat associations therefore varied among kōkopu species and size classes. Our study demonstrates the importance of considering the ontogenetic shift in species' habitat use and provides an effective modelling approach for quantifying size-specific local habitat use of stream-dwelling fish.

Multiple sclerosis mortality in New Zealand: a nationwide prospective study

BackgroundMortality data from Europe and North America show a shorter life expectancy for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is not known if a similar mortality risk exists in the...

Thrombotic events following the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) in Aotearoa New Zealand: A self-controlled case series study

BackgroundAn association between thrombotic events and SARS-CoV-2 infection and the adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccines has been established, leading to concern over the risk of thrombosis after BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination. ObjectivesTo evaluate the risk of arterial thrombosis, cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), splanchnic thrombosis, and venous thromboembolism (VTE) following BNT162b2 vaccination in New Zealand. MethodsThis was a self-controlled case series using national hospitalisation and immunisation records to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRR). The study population included individuals aged ≥12 years, unvaccinated, or vaccinated with BNT162b2, who were hospitalised with one of the thrombotic events of interest from 19 February 2021 through 19 February 2022. The risk period was 0–21 days after receiving a primary or booster dose of BNT162b2. Results6039 individuals were hospitalised with one of the thrombotic events examined, including 5127 with VTE, 605 with arterial thrombosis, 272 with splanchnic thrombosis, and 35 with CVT. The proportion of individuals vaccinated with at least one dose of BNT162b2 ranged from 82.7 % to 91.4 %. Compared with the control unexposed period, the IRR (95 % CI) of VTE, arterial thrombosis, splanchnic thrombosis, and CVT were 0.87 (0.76–1.00), 0.73 (0.56–0.95), 0.71 (0.43–1.16), and 0.87 (0.31–2.50) in the 21 days after BNT162b2 vaccination, respectively. There was no statistically significant increased risk of thrombosis following BNT162b2 in different ethnic groups in New Zealand. ConclusionThe BNT162b2 vaccine was not found to be associated with thrombosis in the general population or different ethnic groups in New Zealand, providing reassurance for the safety of the BNT162b2 vaccine.

Perspective on Illicit drug use for Pacific people living in New Zealand

Historically, alcohol and tobacco use has been the main substance use for Pacific people in New Zealand (NZ).1,2,3 However, more recently, illicit drug use is a new emerging concerning trend amongst Pacific people in New Zealand. Illicit drugs refer to highly addictive and illegal substances such as cannabis, synthetic cannabinoids, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine. Importantly, Pacific youth have been identified as having higher prevalence rates than other age groups in the Pacific population in New Zealand. 4 Although, Pacific people have higher rates of substance abuse, they tend to have lower rates of accessing health service access compared with the New Zealand general population.5 Very little research has examined illicit drug use for Pacific people. With the emergence of rising illicit drug use, there is an urgent needed to identify why illicit drugs will become an issue for Pacific people in the future.

Analysing Realistic effects of modifiable risk factors for dementia in a large National Dataset

BackgroundModifiable risk factors affect 40% of dementia risk thus creating an opportunity for prevention or delay. The risk factor life-course model of dementia prevention by the Lancet Commission has yet to be tested in the general populations. We aimed to assess the model's assumptions in a large national dataset of older adults assessed for support services. MethodsThe interRAI assessment is a comprehensive evidence-based tool encompassing 236 items that is mandatory in New Zealand (NZ) for older adults providing a standardized national dataset. We tested the Lancet model of dementia prevention in a sample of 66,638 participants who underwent an interRAI assessment during the period 2013-2018. There were 59% female interviewees; mean age was 82 years (range: 65-107). Our cross-sectional dataset analysis was performed in using a logistic regression model with diagnosis of dementia as the primary outcome. ResultsThe Lancet prevention model was supported in part. Hypertension, Hearing Impairment and past or present Depression increase risk of dementia. Age - increased risk demonstrated until 85 years; Gender – females at increased risk; BMI – initial effect of high BMI increases risk of dementia. However, exercise, diabetes, vision impairment and smoking as modifiable factors were not associated with dementia risk as predicted by the Lancet model. ConclusionsLimitations of the dataset analysed may have affected our findings. Nevertheless, important modifiable factors are herein confirmed as increasing dementia risk. BMI, hypertension, hearing impairment and depression are risks confirmed in the older NZ population lending credibility to prevention efforts targeted at these variables.

Disease-Related Loss to Government Funding: Longitudinal Analysis of Individual-Level Health and Tax Data for an Entire Country

The objective of this longitudinal analysis was to estimate funding loss in terms of tax revenue to the New Zealand (NZ) government from disease and injury among working age adults. Linked national health and tax data sets of the usually resident population between 2006 and 2016 were used to model 40 disease states simultaneously in a fixed-effects regression analysis to estimate population-level tax loss from disease and injury. To estimate tax revenue loss to the NZ government, we modeled a counterfactual scenario where all disease/injury was cause deleted. The estimated tax paid by all 25- to 64-year-olds in the eligible NZ population was $15 773 million (m) per annum (US dollar 2021), or $16 446 m for a counterfactual as though no one had any disease disease-related income loss (a 4.3% or $672.9 m increase in tax revenue per annum). The disease that-if it had no impact on income-generated the greatest impact was mental illness, contributing 34.7% ($233.3 m) of all disease-related tax loss, followed by cardiovascular (14.7%, $99.0 m) and endocrine (10.2%, $68.8 m). Tax revenue gains after deleting all disease/injury increased up to 65 years of age, with the largest contributor occurring among 60- to 64-year-olds ($131.7 m). Varied results were also observed among different ethnicities and differing levels of deprivation. This study finds considerable variation by disease on worker productivity and therefore tax revenue in this high-income country. These findings strengthen the economic and government case for prevention, particularly the prevention of mental health conditions and cardiovascular disease.

Indian Casualties of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in New Zealand

ABSTRACT The Indian population in New Zealand numbered less than 200 out of 1.1 million in 1916. The impact of the 1918 influenza pandemic on the population was never-the-less considerable. The paper, using various sources, seeks to identify the victims and their life courses while situating them within the standard historical accounts of the pandemic in New Zealand.