Zealand Attitudes Research Articles

Higher levels of social support predict lower psychological distress for Pacific peoples living in Aotearoa New Zealand

Recent research indicates that rates of psychological distress are almost 1.5 times higher for adult Pacific peoples versus non-Pacific peoples1. Leveraging data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study and utilising cross-lagged regression modelling, we examined changes in psychological distress across time for adult Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand (n = 514). Our study found that experiences of psychological distress were associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing psychological distress in the future. Additionally, experiencing higher levels of social support was associated with a lower likelihood of experiencing psychological distress in the future. Our research is vital because psychological distress is a serious mental health issue, and research that signals protective factors towards psychological distress for our Pacific peoples can help in creating better mental health outcomes for our Pacific communities. Preview on terminology: We use the term Pacific peoples, which are inclusive of a group of people in Aotearoa New Zealand that have ethnic roots from many Pacific nations. Unless a research study specifically uses the term mental illness or mental disorder, the study uses the terms mental distress and mental health issues/concerns to broadly refer to diagnosis of a mental illness or any other challenges or experiences with mental health. The choice in terminology is to shift the focus away from a deficit model of health, to those that are more consistent with Pacific views of health and wellbeing1.

Are there potential costs for humility in a pluralistic democracy?: A longitudinal investigation of immigrants in the New Zealand attitudes and values study.

In this longitudinal study, we examine the potential costs and benefits of humility for well-being and civic trust among immigrants in a pluralistic democracy. With data from 14,864 immigrant participants from a nationwide random sample in New Zealand, we used multilevel modeling to examine the associations of general humility (i.e., honesty-humility modesty) with well-being (life satisfaction and meaning) and civic trust (trust in police) over time in contexts with varying levels of ethnic deprivation and perceived religious discrimination. We hypothesized that (a) humility would correlate positively with well-being and civic trust (Hypothesis 1), (b) these associations would be attenuated in the contexts where perceptions of ethnic deprivation and religious discrimination are high (Hypothesis 2), and (c) these interaction effects would become more pronounced when cultural identities are salient (Hypothesis 3). Multilevel modeling revealed partial support for these hypotheses. Although humility correlated positively with well-being and trust in police over time, the two-way and three-way interactions did not yield substantial support for Hypotheses 2 and 3, respectively. The context of religious discrimination did, however, marginally attenuate the positive association between humility and trust in police. Collectively, these results demonstrate that humility is associated with multiple benefits to well-being and civic trust and has few-if any-potential drawbacks.

Effects of Screen-Based Leisure Time on 24 Subsequent Health and Wellbeing Outcomes: A Longitudinal Outcome-Wide Analysis.

Previous research has shown that screen-based leisure time is related to physical and mental health, relationships, and prosocial behaviors. However, it remains unclear whether screen-based leisure time causally affects wellbeing, as previous studies have relied on cross-sectional data, focused on one type of media use (e.g., social media, video games, or internet), or assessed a narrow set of outcomes. We used three waves (2016, 2017, 2019) of national longitudinal data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study to investigate the effects of screen-based leisure time on 24 parameters of wellbeing (n = 11,085). We operationalized screen-based leisure as the sum of time spent browsing the internet, using social media, watching/reading the news, watching videos, and playing video games. We followed the outcome-wide analytic design for observational data by performing a series of multivariable regression models estimating the effect of screen-based leisure time on 24 wellbeing outcomes and assessed potential unmeasured confounding using sensitivity analyses. In our primary analysis with the total sample, total screen-based leisure time was associated with a very modest decrease in body satisfaction and a very modest increase in body mass index. Possible evidence of associations was found with increases in number of hours spent exercising and volunteering each week, as well as decreases in number of average daily hours of sleep, self-control, and subjective health. Screen-based leisure time has the potential to affect health and wellbeing. Results are discussed in light of the high prevalence of screen-based leisure time.

The anatomy of prejudice during pandemic lockdowns: Evidence from a national panel study.

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a spike in the reporting of hate crimes (Human Rights Watch, 2020). However, the extent to which the pandemic affected prejudice across a general population-not merely among those disposed to hate crimes-remains unclear. Also unclear is the extent to which prejudice was restricted to specific minority groups associated with the virus, or whether prejudice spilled over to other minority groups. To address these questions, we use panel data collected from participants in a large national longitudinal (panel) study of New Zealanders before and during the early COVID-19 pandemic and systematically quantified social warmth ratings across a broad range of minority-groups (The New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study, N = 30,327, years 2018-2020). We discover reduced warmth toward Chinese, Asians (broadly defined), immigrants, Muslims, refugees, Indians, and the mentally ill. In absolute terms, warmth towards Chinese decreased the most (0.11 SD). Notably, changes in warmth were not detected toward NZ Europeans, Māori, Pacific Islanders, the overweight, or the elderly. Overall, these findings suggest that in New Zealand, pandemic prejudice may spread beyond minority groups associated with the virus to other groups perceived as non-prototypical of national identity.

Psychological predictors of vaping uptake among non-smokers: A longitudinal investigation of New Zealand adults.

Demographic and health factors are known to predict vaping. Less is known about psychological predictors of vaping uptake, particularly among non-smoking adults using longitudinal designs. We aimed to model how psychological factors related to personality and mental health predicted the likelihood of vaping uptake over time in non-smoking adults ages 18+ using longitudinal data. Longitudinal regression models utilised data from the 2018-2020 waves of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study to assess how the Big Five personality traits, mental distress and self-control predicted who began vaping over time among non-users (non-vapers and non-smokers), controlling for gender, age, ethnicity and economic deprivation. Analyses included 36,309 adults overall (ages 18 to 99; M = 51.0). The number of non-users who transitioned into current vaping was small (transitioned from 2018 to 2019, n = 147; 0.48%; 2019 to 2020, n = 189, 0.63%). Fully adjusted models showed that adults with higher mental distress (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-1.88), lower self-control (aOR 0.79; 95% CI 0.69-0.89) and higher extraversion (aOR 1.09; 95% CI 1.06-1.13) were more likely to begin vaping at the next time point compared to adults who remained non-users. Higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness also predicted vaping uptake in initial models, but inclusion of mental distress and self-control superseded these traits. Psychological factors related to mental distress, impulse control and sociability predicted who was more likely to begin vaping as non-smoking adults. Harm prevention interventions could target these factors to reduce vaping uptake in non-smokers.

Examining age, period and cohort effects in attitude change to childhood vaccinations in a representative New Zealand survey: a multiyear cohort-sequential growth modelling study

ObjectivesVaccinations are an important preventative measure in reducing the spread of infectious diseases worldwide. However, concerns of undervaccination during childhood have become increasingly common. The current study aims to investigate...

Are people's COVID-19 attitudes discriminatory or justified? A thematic analysis of New Zealander's responses to the pandemic

The rise of Covid-19 as a global pandemic in 2020 quickly disrupted nations across the world and heralded extensive media coverage. The coverage explored the consequences of those that become infected and the effect of the virus on nations afflicted by Covid-19's spread. Here in New Zealand, the discussion of the virus and its effects occurred across a range of social media platforms, including the comments area for articles posted by The New Zealand Herald on their Facebook Page. The concern is raised that the proliferation of information now primarily driven across internet communication channels and dominated by social media complicated the ability of a population to easily distinguish information from either that of disinformation or misinformation. This condition, known as an infodemic, gave rise to an increase in discourse that included heightened distrust, racism, condemnation, and general public outcry. To understand the impact of this on New Zealand's attitudes to the Covid-19 pandemic, articles uploaded to social media between January 30 to February 6, 2020, were thematically analyzed to understand the nature of the discourse exchanged as the virus propagated around the world. Our analysis of approximately 10,300 Facebook comments revealed four themes: Our Safety is Paramount; Media is fear-mongering, Government is inactive, & Blame China. These themes revealed that New Zealand audiences were acting in prejudiced ways based often on incorrect information and perceived media scaremongering.

Climate change profiles of New Zealanders over time: a one-year latent transition analysis of climate change beliefs and concern

ABSTRACT Scientific evidence unequivocally shows that human activities cause climate change, but some people still deny it. Using New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study data from 2018 and 2019 (N = 34,733), we examined segmentation profiles regarding beliefs and concern about climate change (‘Climate change is real’, ‘Climate change is caused by humans’, ‘I am deeply concerned about climate change’), the probabilities of transitioning to and from profiles over time, and the characteristics of individuals in each profile. Five profiles were identified with varying levels of climate change beliefs and concern. The largest profile (60.4% of respondents) had the highest levels of climate change beliefs and concern, while the smallest profile (3.7% of respondents) had the lowest. Over time, more people moved from profiles of lower into profiles of higher levels of climate change beliefs and concern. The profile with the highest levels was the most stable, with members having an 82.7% chance of staying in this profile over time. Compared to this group, members of the profile with the lowest levels of climate change beliefs and concern were more likely to be male, New Zealand European, parents, religious, and to endorse conservative and system-justifying ideologies. We discuss the implications of the findings.

Long-term causal effects of far-right terrorism in New Zealand.

The Christchurch mosque attacks in 2019, committed by a radical right-wing extremist, resulted in the tragic loss of 51 lives. Following these events, there was a noticable rise in societal acceptance of Muslim minorities. Comparable transient reactions have been observed elsewhere. However, the critical questions remain: can these effects endure? Are enduring effects evident across the political spectrum? It is challenging to answer such questions because identifying long-term causal effects requires estimating unobserved attitudinal trajectories without the attacks. Here, we use six preattack waves of Muslim acceptance responses from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS) to infer missing counterfactual trajectories (NZAVS cohort 2012, ; replicated in 2013 cohort, ). We find (1) the attacks initially boosted Muslim acceptance; (2) the magnitude of the initial Muslim acceptance boost was similar across the political spectrum; (3) no changes were observed in negative control groups; and (4) two- and three-year effects varied by baseline political orientation: liberal acceptance was stable, conservative acceptance grew relative to the counterfactual trend. Overall, the attacks added five years of growth in Muslim acceptance, with no regression to preattack levels over time. Continued growth among conservatives highlights the attack's failure to divide society. These results demonstrate the utility of combining methods for causal inference with national-scale panel data to answer psychological questions of basic human concern.

Ethnic group differences in patient satisfaction with GP services: findings from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study.

To identify key predictors of general practitioner (GP) satisfaction and increase insight into the mechanisms behind ethnic health inequities in New Zealand. Regression analyses were conducted using data from the 2019 New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (n=38,465). Initially, Māori and Asian peoples showed lower, and Pasifika peoples showed no significant difference in GP satisfaction level relative to New Zealand (NZ) Europeans. However, after accounting for differences in patient-perceived GP cultural respect and GP ethnic similarity, Māori and Pasifika peoples showed higher and Asian peoples showed no difference in GP satisfaction level relative to NZ Europeans. These effects continued to hold when adjusting for a range of demographic factors. Subsequent regression analyses were conducted to investigate the impact of GP perceptions, GP satisfaction and demographic factors on healthcare access satisfaction and health status across ethnic groups. For all ethnic groups, GP satisfaction was the strongest predictor of satisfaction with access to healthcare. Higher GP satisfaction was also a significant predictor of higher self-rated health and lower psychological distress. Lack of GP cultural respect is a key contributor to lower GP satisfaction among ethnic minorities, which can further exacerbate inequities in healthcare access and health outcomes. Interventions to enhance GPs' provision of culturally respectful and safe healthcare services may help reduce ethnic health inequities and improve population health.

Estimating quality of life: A spatial microsimulation model of well-being in Aotearoa New Zealand

Quality of life is a complex concept characterised by several dualities, it has many definitions depending on the field of research and an abundance of diverse objective and subjective measures. The latter often represents the extent of perceived (dis)satisfaction with various domains of life experienced by individuals or groups, and research is increasingly focusing on subjective measures of well-being to better understand personal drivers related to quality of life. A better understanding of these factors at a local level has potential to shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of the mental health landscape in Aotearoa New Zealand. Individual-level data on adults (15+ years) is sourced from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study 2018 (N = 47,949) and aggregate-level data from the Census 2018 (N = 3,775,854). Matching constraint variables include sex, age, ethnicity, highest qualification, and labour force status. Outcome variables include personal and national well-being scores from 0 to 10 (extremely dissatisfied–extremely satisfied). Spatial microsimulation is used to create a synthetic population based on the above data. Results show lower mean national well-being scores than personal well-being scores, with spatial variations that broadly reflect patterns of socioeconomic deprivation. Low mean values for both personal and national well-being scores are seen in rural areas of high socioeconomic deprivation, particularly those with large Māori populations. High mean values are associated with areas of low deprivation. Additionally, high national well-being scores are associated with areas of agricultural activity, particularly in the South Island. Consideration should be given to factors that influence responses in such topics however, including demographic profiles as well as economic and social conditions of individuals and their surrounding communities. This study demonstrates that spatial microsimulation can be used as a powerful tool to understand population well-being. It can help support future planning and resource allocation, aiding in achieving health equity.

Effects of vaping on uptake and cessation of smoking: Longitudinal analysis in Aotearoa New Zealand adults.

Globally, the use of vapes, or e-cigarettes, is increasing. While vaping is less harmful than smoking and may help smokers to quit, there is also the possibility that vaping may lead to smoking. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of vaping and smoking in Aotearoa New Zealand and explore longitudinal pathways between smoking status and vape use. Data related to smoking and vaping status was analysed from Times 10, 11 and 12 across 2018-2020 of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values study, a large, representative, multi-wave study of adults living in New Zealand. Weighted descriptive analyses were used to determine prevalence rates of vaping and smoking and a generalised linear modelling approach was used to examine the likelihood of changing to, or taking up, the other behaviour in the transition between time points. Broadly, the prevalence of smoking was found to be decreasing over time while the prevalence of vaping was increasing. Despite these general trends, no differences were observed in the likelihood of transitioning from smoking to vaping or from vaping to smoking, indicating that either pathway was equally as likely. The current findings demonstrate that vaping appeared to be just as likely to have a gateway effect to smoking as it was to have a cessation effect. This highlights the need for greater consideration regarding vaping-related policies and restrictions.

Differences in Voter Turnout Across Diverse Asian Ethnic Groups in a Western Democracy: Findings from a New Zealand National Sample

ABSTRACT Many Western governments frame lower Asian voter turnout as a concern that impacts the quality of democracy and representation. However, there is limited evidence on how turnout varies across different ethnic groups under the ‘Asian’ classification, and what the correlates of turnout among Asian subgroups are. This study provides a comprehensive account of the demographic, socioeconomic, social, political, and psychological factors driving Asian voter turnout in an underexplored, Western English-speaking democracy (New Zealand). It uses the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (N = 47,951), a national probability survey, to explore these differences in turnout for Asians (n = 2,445) in the 2017 national election. The analysis shows that Asian New Zealanders have a relatively low voter turnout and that their voting probabilities are significantly influenced by immigration status, social network, and political psychological factors. Furthermore, the results for different Asian ethnic groups can have different relationships between these factors and turnout compared to the Asian group at large. These findings highlight the importance of considering the needs of different Asian communities when developing policies and campaigns to boost their turnout in Western democracies.

Gain and loss spirals: Reciprocal relationships between resources and job insecurity

AbstractBased on gain and loss spiral principles from Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we examined change‐related reciprocal relations between three key resources (i.e. self‐esteem, sense of belonging and perceived social support) and job insecurity. We adopted a latent change score (LCS) approach and examined the loss and gain spirals with a seven‐wave longitudinal dataset from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (N = 6518). The LCS models indicated that: (1) self‐esteem predicts decreased job insecurity, but not vice versa, (2) sense of belonging predicts decreased job insecurity, but not vice versa and (3) there is a change‐related reciprocal relationship between perceived social support and job insecurity. Inconsistent with the primacy of resource loss proposed by COR theory, we also confirm that the effects of self‐esteem, sense of belonging and perceived social support on changes in job insecurity (i.e., gain spirals) are stronger than the effects of job insecurity on changes in these three resources (i.e., loss spirals). These findings provide a cautionary note to previous research based on cross‐sectional or lagged designs and using regression or (traditional or random intercept) cross‐lagged analyses. By taking a resource perspective, our research provides an impetus for understanding change‐related reciprocal relations between resources and job insecurity.

Latent Transition Analysis indicates four relatively stable profiles of loneliness in New Zealand

Objective:We investigated the characteristics of loneliness by identifying distinct ‘profiles’ of loneliness and investigating transitions between those loneliness profiles over two years. Method:We conducted Latent Transition Analyses on two years of data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (N=15,820) and modelled how people's health and age were associated with changes in profile membership. Results:Four loneliness profiles emerged: ‘low‐loneliness’ (58% of the sample), ‘high‐loneliness’ (5%), ‘appreciated outsiders’ (28%; perceived acceptance from others but felt like social outsiders), and ‘superficially connected’ (9%; lacked acceptance from others but felt socially included). Profile membership was relatively stable over time and transitions were most likely from higher to lower loneliness. Younger people and people reporting poorer health were more likely to transition into profiles with greater loneliness indicators. Conclusions:Findings replicated a four‐profile pattern of loneliness, supported the theorised ‘trait‐like’ structure of loneliness and identified the possibility that moderate states of loneliness are transitional states into/from low and high loneliness. Implications for public health:The stability of loneliness across years reiterates the need for societal interventions, particularly interventions that are adaptive to whether people's loneliness forms as a lack of acceptance/value or a lack of social inclusion.

Clarifying longitudinal relations between individuals' support for human rights and climate change beliefs

The devastating effects of climate change on human rights has led the United Nations to recommend a human rights-based approach to climate action. However, no research has examined the relations between support for human rights and climate change beliefs, which is critical if such a rights-based approach is to receive widespread public backing. Here we combine variable- and person-centred analyses to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal relations between support for human rights and climate change beliefs/concern with data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (N ≈ 17,656). Cross-lagged analyses indicate that support for the broader human rights item about the right to food, clothing, housing and medicine had a bidirectional relationship with climate change beliefs/concern. A latent profile analysis then revealed four distinct subgroups of New Zealanders whose climate change beliefs/concern differed between subgroups, while all subgroups consistently supported human rights. Lastly, latent transition analysis revealed that, although two of these distinct profiles were relatively unstable across the one-year period, New Zealanders generally moved from profiles of lower to higher levels of climate beliefs/concern. Findings reveal novel implications for a rights-based climate change response.

Age, ethnicity, life events and wellbeing among New Zealand women

AbstractBy the year 2030, 19–21 per cent of the population of New Zealand (NZ) is projected to be aged 65 and over. Like many countries, life expectancy in NZ differs by gender but also ethnicity: in 2019, life expectancy for Māori (indigenous) women was 77.1 years compared with 84.4 years for non-Māori women. If Māori and NZ European women are to flourish in later life, examining the factors associated with their wellbeing is paramount. The current study draws on the Life Course Perspective to explore how wellbeing is associated with age-related life events among mid- to later-life NZ women. The women in this study (N = 19,624) are participants in the 2018 wave of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study, a national probabilistic 20-year longitudinal study (mean age = 55.62; Māori = 10.8%, NZ European = 89.2%). We found that stressful life events were negatively associated with life satisfaction but positively associated with meaning in life. Māori women exhibited lower levels of life satisfaction but there were no ethnic differences for meaning in life; however, Māori and NZ European women showed different patterns of significant correlates associated with meaning in life. Findings highlight the necessity of an intersectional approach to the study of mid- to later-life wellbeing and the utility of measuring wellbeing in more than one way within NZ's unique cultural-historical context.

Democracy and belief in conspiracy theories in New Zealand

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic supercharged the spread of fake news, misinformation, and conspiracy theories worldwide. Using a national probability sample of adults from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study during 2020 (17–99 years old; M = 48.59, SD = 13.86; 63% women, 37% men; N = 41,487), we examined the associations between agreement with general conspiracy beliefs and political indicators of intention to vote and satisfaction with government, alongside political factors including trust in politicians, political efficacy, identity centrality, and political ideology. Left-wing political ideology, trust in politicians, and political efficacy accounted for most of the explained variance in satisfaction with the government. General conspiracy belief was also a unique contributor to lower satisfaction with the government. We also found a curvilinear relationship between political ideology with heightened belief in conspiracies at both ideological extremes and the centre. Findings are discussed in terms of the consequences of conspiracy belief on democratic engagement.

Change in weight-based bias over a decade: A longitudinal nationally representative survey

SummaryBackgroundGlobally, the prevalence of obesity has almost tripled in the last 45 years, and almost 2 billion adults are considered overweight or obese. Such individuals have been shown to experience bias and stigma in their everyday life. While some prior research suggests that there has been an increase in weight-based bias over time, there have also been active efforts to counteract weight-based bias over the past decade. The current study uses cohort-sequential growth curve modelling on a nationally representative survey to examine change in weight-based bias over the last decade. The study also investigates whether changes in weight-based bias reflect developmental changes that occur with age, or whether there are cohort-based differences in such bias. The current study also examines whether there are gender differences in weight-based bias over the past decade.MethodsWe used data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Survey (NZAVS). The NZAVS is an ongoing study that has been conducting an annual longitudinal panel survey of adult New Zealanders since 2009. There were 61,051 participants who responded to at least 1 out of the 11 waves available from the NZAVS. We used a feeling thermometer measure to assess attitudes toward people who are overweight over eleven years.FindingsWe found that weight-based bias has remained relatively stable over the last decade. Small cohort-based differences occurred for women within four younger birth cohorts (those born 1990–1986; 1980–1976; 1975–1971; and 1970–1966) revealing a small increase in warmth towards people who are overweight. Both men and women showed a slight gradual increase in warmth toward people who are overweight, which peaked in middle age.InterpretationWeight-based bias appears relatively stable over the past decade. These small changes do not appear to reflect developmental changes as a function of ageing. However, small decreases in weight-based bias among younger birth cohorts of women may reflect shifting societal norms about the acceptability of weight-based bias, although future work is needed to better understand this.FundingCollection of the NZAVS data analysed in this paper was supported by a grant from the Templeton Religion Trust (TRT0196) awarded to the last author.

Monthly Trends in the Life Events Reported in the Prior Year and First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New Zealand.

The current study examines changes in the economic, social, and well-being life events that women and men reported during the first 7 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyses compared monthly averages in cross-sectional national probability data from two annual waves of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study collected between October 2018–September 2019 (N = 17,924), and October 2019–September 2020 (N = 41,653), which included the first 7 months of the pandemic (Mar–Sep 2020). Results indicated that people (particularly women) reported increased job loss in the months following an initial COVID-19 lockdown relative to the same months the year earlier. Women also experienced an increase in family troubles when restrictions eased and reported increased negative lifestyle changes that persisted throughout the first 7 months of the pandemic. The proportion of people experiencing many other life events (e.g., mental health, financial concerns) in New Zealand did not differ reliably from the pre-pandemic monthly baseline. These results highlight resilience to many potential negative life events within the first 7 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the pandemic did not affect everyone equally, and the burden of increased negative events appears more heavily borne by women. As the pandemic continues more than 18 months from initial community transmission of COVID-19, our findings provide important insight into the impact of the pandemic on potential negative life events, especially among women, that may have critical consequences for mental health, gender equality, and social well-being over time.