Zealand Experience Research Articles

Understanding fire learning experiences in Aotearoa New Zealand

PurposeThis paper aims to present exploratory research on how people in Aotearoa New Zealand experience and learn about fire, and how they think and feel about fire as adults.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative survey with a sample of 40 young adults aged 18–23 years in Aotearoa New Zealand were recruited through Prolific Academic. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to construct themes across participants experiences.FindingsFour themes were constructed that described participants’ learning about fire and were named influence of context and internal responses to fire, development of normative beliefs about fire, learning how and when fire can be used and learning about fire safety. Two themes were developed that described participants thoughts and feelings about fire as an adult. These were named knowledge is power and emotional congruence with fire. Results highlight the significant role of parental modelling, reinforcement and sensory experiences in the way individuals experience and learn about fire.Practical implicationsUnderstanding fire learning is important for establishing which experiences may lead to appropriate and inappropriate fire use which in turn can inform fire prevention initiatives.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research represents one of the first studies to directly examine fire learning in the general population.

Meeting the challenges and clinical requirements for dental regeneration; the New Zealand experience.

Disease and trauma leading to tooth loss and destruction of supporting bone is a significant oral handicap, which may be addressed through surgical therapies that aim to regenerate the lost tissue. Whilst complete regeneration of teeth is still aspirational, regeneration of supporting structures (dental pulp, cementum, periodontal ligament, bone) is becoming commonplace, both for teeth and for titanium dental implants that are used to replace teeth. Most grafting materials are essentially passive, however the next generation of oral regenerative devices will combine non-antibiotic antimicrobials and/or osteogenic or inductive factors and/or appropriate multipotential stem cells. The review gives an overview of the approaches taken, including fabrication of novel scaffolds, incorporation of growth factors and cell-based therapies, and discusses the preclinical animal models we employ in the development pathway.

Design and implementation of a Pacific intervention to increase uptake of urate-lowering therapy for gout: a study protocol

BackgroundGout is a painful chronic disease which disrupts work and family life and can lead to chronic joint damage. Pacific people in Aotearoa/New Zealand experience significant inequities, with over three times the gout prevalence of the non-Pacific non-Māori populations. Pacific people receive less regular urate-lowering drugs to prevent gout flare-ups, and have nine times the hospitalisation from gout compared with non-Pacific non-Māori people. Rates for Indigenous Māori lie between Pacific and non-Pacific non-Māori. A long-established Collective comprising community members from the Pacific People’s Health Advisory Group, clinical staff from the Pacific Practice-Based Research Network, and University of Auckland researchers have identified that improving Pacific urate-lowering therapy use as the research question of prime importance for improved health outcomes of Pacific people in South Auckland. Building on the existing knowledge, this study aims to develop, implement and evaluate a novel innovative intervention to improve the uptake of urate-lowering therapy by Pacific patients with gout.MethodsThree-phase mixed methods co-design study using the Fa’afaletui research framework following the STROBE statement. Phase1 is observational times series of prevalence of patients with gout, proportion with urate blood-level monitoring and use of urate-lowering medication over past 5 years. In Phase 2 the Collective will workshop new interventions to address previous uptake barriers, using culturally-appropriate Talanga communications with results synthesised in line with Kakala principles. The designed intervention will be implemented and process and outcome evaluations conducted. Finally, an implementation framework will be produced to facilitate further roll-out.DiscussionThe study aims to enhance health and reduce inequities for Pacific people, contribute to creation of Pacific health knowledge and translation of research findings into Pacific health gains. Potential longer-term impact is a gout-management pathway for use throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand. Māori have similar issues with high gout prevalence and low urate-lowering therapy use hence the intervention is likely to translate to Māori healthcare. The project will contribute to Pacific research capacity and capability-building as well as general upskilling of community and practice members involved in the co-design processes.Trial registrationThe Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry is in process, request number 38206, 1-09-2021.

Glass hearts?! Successful visible ethnic minority women migrants at work in Iceland and New Zealand

AbstractIn the diversity arena, women and their heterogeneity as visible ethnic minority migrants at work are under researched. Our qualitative empirical research reveals, and compares, how visible ethnic women migrants (VEWM) experience their journey to professional success in Iceland and New Zealand. These island nations rank in the top six of the Global Gender Gap Index, have women Prime Ministers, and increasing demographic diversity. The findings reveal that for VEWM success is a continuous journey with many different challenges. VEWM reject the notion of success as accumulation of things or titles, emphasizing instead how success is experienced. For VEWM in Iceland, success means independent hard work and aligning with other women. VEWM in New Zealand experience success through religion and giving back to the community. These differences are explored and theorized, contributing to an expanding literature of migrant complexities, beyond monolithic representations of gender at work.

Pre- and Post-operative determinants of transplantation-free survival after Fontan. The Australia and New Zealand experience.

BackgroundThis review identifies the predictors of late mortality and heart transplantation that remain relevant in the contemporary population of patients with a Fontan circulation, focusing on the potential impact of post-Fontan morbidities on the late outlook of these patients.Methods and ResultsA total of 1561 patients who had survived the Fontan operation in Australia or New Zealand from 1975 to 2018 were included in this review. Over a median duration of 11.4 years, there was a total of 117 deaths (7%) and 32 heart transplantations (2%). Freedom from death and heart transplantation at 10, 20 and 35 years post Fontan surgery were 94% (95% CI 93–95%), 87% (95 %CI 85–90%) and 66% (95 %CI 57–78%) respectively. Being male, having an atriopulmonary Fontan, pre-Fontan atrioventricular valve intervention, or prolonged pleural effusions post Fontan were predictive of late death or heart transplantation. However, time-dependent variables such as the development of atrial arrhythmia, protein/losing enteropathy or late ventricular dysfunction were stronger predictors of the same outcome. Patients who developed a time-dependent risk factor had a freedom from death and heart transplantation rate of 54% (95 %CI 43–66) at 15 years and 44% (95 %CI 33–57) at 25 years post Fontan. However, 95% (95 %CI 91–99) of patients without any of the identified risk factors were free from death or heart transplantation rate at 25 years post Fontan.ConclusionIn conclusion, the occurrence of post-operative complications such as PLE, arrhythmia and ventricular dysfunction will likely precede the late demise of these patients.

Therapeutic granulocyte infusion for patients with severe neutropaenia and neutrophilic dysfunction: New Zealand experience.

Studies have shown granulocyte transfusions (GTXs) may be beneficial in neutropaenic patients with severe systemic infections. New Zealand Blood Service has a policy for provision of granulocytes to New Zealand's District Health Boards. We set out to explore utilization of therapeutic granulocyte infusions in New Zealand. Patients who received GTXs in the 16-year period between 2000 and 2016 were identified by the New Zealand electronic blood management system, eProgesa. Information pertaining to recipient demographics, disease-related factors, methods of granulocyte collection and clinical outcomes was obtained by the review of electronic transfusion and clinical records. Forty-five septic patients received granulocyte support for a total of 263 days. The median age of the recipients was 16 (range 0-74) years. Seventy-nine percent of the recipients had an underlying haematological malignancy with 50% having acute leukaemia. The median neutrophil count on the last day of GTX was 0.02 × 109 /L (range 0-16.32). Sixty-three percent (27/43 patients with available data) had persisting severe neutropaenia when the GTXs were stopped. The median duration of support was 3 (range 1-32) days. Forty-six percent of granulocyte collections were performed via apheresis. Of the 44 patients, for whom survival outcome was available, 18 (41%) survived the acute illness. GTXs were infrequently used, most commonly in the setting of an underlying haematological malignancy. This may be explained by the current weak evidence base supporting this therapeutic modality. Procuring a sufficiently large dose of granulocytes for infusion remains an issue for adult recipients.

Initial teacher education students' perceptions during a practicum in primary schools: a New Zealand experience

PurposeThis paper is about mentoring of initial teacher education (ITE) students whilst on their practicum.Design/methodology/approachInformed by a social constructivist theoretical framework, an online survey was used to capture the breadth of quantitative data and the richness of qualitative responses relating to factors that impact student teachers' experiences during practicum.FindingsQuantitative data indicate that many student teachers were positive about the practicum, but this varied across the type of school in which they were placed. The qualitative data analyses showed a greater in-depth understanding of the range of issues that impacted how student teachers are treated in their role as a mentee by the mentor and the wider school community.Practical implicationsBetter understanding the experiences of student teachers helps to inform ITE providers of the critical role that mentor teachers play in preparing student teachers. The practical implications are that strategies to develop deep and collaborative partnerships amongst ITE providers, mentor teachers and school leaders, which build stronger understandings of a mentor teacher's role, are critical in order to support student teachers.Originality/valueThis research study repositions the critical nature of effective mentoring of student teachers so that mentor teachers and ITE providers can be informed by the voices and lived realities of these student teachers. The mentoring relationship needs to be critically interrogated to provide a more even and supportive “playing field” for all student teachers.

A Christian Perspective on New Zealand's Response to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had horrendous consequences for much of the world with huge swathes of serious illness and alarming rates of premature death. Surprisingly, some of the most affluent and technologically sophisticated countries have been the worst affected. The current article aims to investigate this counterintuitive state of affairs by reference to a small country, New Zealand, that has escaped the worst effects of the pandemic. Some of the lessons that emerge include the prominent role played by science in undergirding political decision-making, decisive empathic leadership, and the subsequent high level of trust placed by the community in the political decision makers. The willingness of political leaders to listen to scientific advice and enter into dialogue with public health specialists and epidemiologists stood out as exemplary. *The dominant messages coming from the political leadership at the height of the pandemic highlighted the importance of community, the interests of one's neighbors, and the need to treat each other with kindness and consideration. While these were not put forward as Christian standards, they bear striking resemblance to the Christian values of loving one's neighbor, living for each other, putting the interests of others before one's own interests, and demonstrating the gifts of the Spirit. It was these that enabled the country to live through an early very harsh lockdown aimed at "eliminating" the virus from the population. While the New Zealand situation cannot be precisely replicated in much larger countries, many of the lessons coming out of the New Zealand experience throw considerable light on how reliable, insightful science and responsible leadership can bring glory to God and protect human dignity and worth.

Ely in New Zealand

Abstract John Hart Ely’s representation-reinforcing theory of the US Constitution had a significant impact on the drafting of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. This short article begins by recapping briefly the pathway by which that influence occurred. It then expands on earlier accounts in two ways. The first is to suggest that Ely’s influence in New Zealand illustrates the significance of American postgraduate legal education programs as a vector for the migration of constitutional ideas (although the causal relationship in this case is neither straightforward nor direct). The second is to confront more explicitly a nagging question raised by earlier scholarship: to what extent was it Ely specifically (rather than US process theories more generally) that influenced the New Zealand experience? The article suggests that, at very least, Ely’s work acted as the conduit by which the ideas underlying American process theory were transmitted into the New Zealand text. Although it is inevitably somewhat speculative, the article also suggests that it is unlikely that, in the absence of Ely, the drafters of the N.Z. Bill of Rights would have pursued a process-perfecting strategy with quite the same vigilance and systematicity.

Reflections on the New Zealand Experience in Managed Isolation and Quarantine during the SARS-CoV-2 Global Pandemic

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic led to worldwide stay-at-home orders and social isolation. Social isolation—a lack of social interaction within groups and communities [16], has prevailed during quarantine and social distancing orders. Additionally, perceived isolation (i.e., loneliness)—the subjective feeling of being isolated while not physically alone, can co-occur with social isolation. The perception and physical isolation during this pandemic have affected many demographics. For example, seniors in nursing homes may be at greater risk for isolation. As most nursing homes have canceled group activities, confinement to their rooms and the lack of digital literacy among elders has exacerbated the feeling of isolation within nursing homes and other elders living alone [17]. Additionally, groups with a lack of technological connectivity can also feel increased loneliness during lockdowns [14]. Despite the lack of research exploring the potential influence of loneliness and isolation on the severity of SARS-CoV-2, studies have shown that loneliness and isolation contribute to factors directly attributing to aggravating the severity of SARS-CoV-2 [1, 2, 4, 6-9, 12, 13, 15, 19, 21]. These studies have demonstrated an association between isolation, lowered immune response, higher inflammation markers, cardiovascular disease, and risk for diabetes [1, 2, 4, 6-9, 12, 13, 15, 19, 21]. Although several factors contribute to severe illness from SARSCoV- 2, taking measures to reduce the feeling of isolation may serve as a viable prevention measure. This review evaluates current literature examining the association between loneliness and severe SARS-CoV-2 illness. It aims to provide an alternative perspective to isolation measures in place by public health highlighting the importance of mitigating isolation. This review examined both basic science, clinical literature, and databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. No time, setting, or language restrictions were imposed on the search strategy. Primary research articles, including case studies, and non-primary studies centered around human and animal isolation studies and their health effects, were also included. Studies concerning meta-analysis were excluded from this review. Studies focused on the feeling of loneliness and health effects, determined if their subjects were lonely using the UCLA Loneliness Scale [8]. While studies focusing on isolation placed the test animals in physical isolation [2].

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer diagnosis and service access in New Zealand–a country pursuing COVID-19 elimination

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted cancer services globally. New Zealand has pursued an elimination strategy to COVID-19, reducing (but not eliminating) this disruption. Early in the pandemic, our national Cancer Control Agency (Te Aho o Te Kahu) began monitoring and reporting on service access to inform national and regional decision-making. In this manuscript we use high-quality, national-level data to describe changes in cancer registrations, diagnosis and treatment over the course of New Zealand's response to COVID-19. MethodsData were sourced (2018–2020) from national collections, including cancer registrations, inpatient hospitalisations and outpatient events. Cancer registrations, diagnostic testing (gastrointestinal endoscopy), surgery (colorectal, lung and prostate surgeries), medical oncology access (first specialist appointments [FSAs] and intravenous chemotherapy attendances) and radiation oncology access (FSAs and megavoltage attendances) were extracted. Descriptive analyses of count data were performed, stratified by ethnicity (Indigenous Māori, Pacific Island, non-Māori/non-Pacific). FindingsCompared to 2018–2019, there was a 40% decline in cancer registrations during New Zealand's national shutdown in March-April 2020, increasing back to pre-shutdown levels over subsequent months. While there was a sharp decline in endoscopies, pre-shutdown volumes were achieved again by August. The impact on cancer surgery and medical oncology has been minimal, but there has been an 8% year-to-date decrease in radiation therapy attendances. With the exception of lung cancer, there is no evidence that existing inequities in service access between ethnic groups have been exacerbated by COVID-19. InterpretationThe impact of COVID-19 on cancer care in New Zealand has been largely mitigated. The New Zealand experience may provide other agencies or organisations with a sense of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer services within a country that has actively pursued elimination of COVID-19. FundingData were provided by New Zealand's Ministry of Health, and analyses completed by Te Aho o Te Kahu staff.

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: An Analysis of the Australian and New Zealand Experience

<h3>Purpose</h3> Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is defined as pulmonary hypertension resulting from non-resolving fibro-thrombotic obstructions of pulmonary arteries. Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) remains the treatment of choice for disease that is technically operable. The epidemiology and long-term outcomes of CTEPH has not been previously described in Australia and New Zealand. <h3>Methods</h3> Using PHSANZ registry, data was extracted for all CTEPH patients diagnosed between January 2004 and March 2020. We analysed baseline characteristics, treatment strategies, outcome data, and long-term survival. <h3>Results</h3> A total of 404 patients were included with 146 (36.1%) undergoing PEA and 258 (63.9%) in the non-PEA group. PEA patients were younger (55±16yr vs. 62±16yr) with higher baseline 6MWD (405±122m vs. 323±146m), whilst both groups had similar baseline pulmonary haemodynamics. Pulmonary vasodilator therapy was used in 50% of patients post-PEA, and 76% in the non-PEA group. Actual 1, 5, and 10-yr transplant-free survivals were 93%, 84% and 74% for the PEA group compared to 87%, 63% and 42% for the non-PEA group (log rank test, p < 0.001). Similar survival trends were found in an incident-only cohort. Multivariate survival analysis is shown in Table 1 for a cohort of patients with full data available (total n=342). <h3>Conclusion</h3> In this first multicentre report of CTEPH in Australia and New Zealand, long-term survival is comparable to other contemporary registries. However, PEA was only offered to a minority of CTEPH patients and significantly less than overseas reports. Greater awareness and improved patient access to experienced CTEPH surgical centres are important priorities. Multivariate survival analysis showed baseline 6MWD was an independent predictor of survival in both operated and medically managed patients.

Assessing Patients’ Experiences with Medical Injury Reconciliation Processes: Item Generation for a Novel Survey Questionnaire

Many health care organizations want to improve their responses to patients who suffer medical injuries. Their ability to understand how well they meet patients' needs is limited by the lack of suitable instruments for assessing injured patients' experiences. This study aimed to generate items for a patient experience questionnaire that medical facilities can use to assess how well resolution met patients' needs. The Medical Injury Reconciliation Experiences Survey (MIRES) was based on findings from previous studies of New Zealand and American patients' experiences of non-litigation resolution of medical injuries. The researchers performed a content analysis of 24 transcripts from a stratified random sample of 92 interviews from the prior studies. Themes were extracted to develop a draft questionnaire, which was revised following feedback from experts. Cognitive debriefing interviews were conducted with 24 New Zealand and American injured patients. There were 40 items in the following domains: perceptions of communications with health care providers after the injury (15 items), perceptions of remedial gestures (11 items), indicia of the patient's overall satisfaction with the reconciliation process (4 items), the nature and impacts of the injury (5 items), and patients' characteristics (5 items). Participants' feedback about the questionnaire was predominantly positive. Their suggestions led to 37 revisions. The MIRES was comprehensible and acceptable to this group of post-injury patients. While further testing is desirable, the MIRES offers promise as a practicable approach that health care organizations can use to assess how well their reconciliation processes met patients' needs.

Why did New Zealand's referendum to legalise recreational cannabis fail?

New Zealand recently held the world's first national referendum on cannabis legalisation involving a detailed bill to regulate retail sale and supply of cannabis for recreational (non-medical) adult use (i.e. the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill; CLCB). The referendum generated significant domestic debate and lobbying from both sides of the issue. The CLCB was narrowly defeated, with 48.4% voting to support versus 50.7% opposed. In this commentary, we discuss the referendum campaigns and other political and social factors that may have contributed to the result. Voting patterns appeared to largely follow traditional conservative-liberal, urban-rural and age divides. The referendum format created a public campaigning environment that encouraged persuasion and selective use of evidence rather than rational discussion of all the evidence and related knowledge gaps. The self-imposed neutrality of the centre left Labour Party and its popular leader may have been a decisive factor in the narrow defeat. It did not appear to be the case that anti-CLCB groups outspent the pro-CLCB movement in online promotional advertisements, and the leading digital media appeared largely neutral or mildly in favour of reform. The recent New Zealand experience illustrates the uncertainties of attempting to achieve cannabis law reform via a public referendum vote.

Chesterton—A New Zealand Experience

Chesterton—A New Zealand Experience

PREDICTING INFRAGRAVITY WAVES IN HARBOURS - AN EVALUATION OF PUBLISHED EQUATIONS AND THEIR USE IN FORECASTING OPERATIONAL THRESHOLDS

Infragravity (IG) waves have received considerable study since the 1950s (Munk, 1949, Bertin, 2018), allowing their generation, propagation and impacts to be more effectively quantified. Here, we are concerned with the frequencies that directly excite motion in moored ships, thereby creating problematic and often unsafe conditions. Operational knowledge gained in surge-affected ports in Australia and New Zealand revealed IG height thresholds common to all locations (McComb, 2011), with wave periods from 25 to 120-150s being causative. A further observation that the IG spectral shapes at berths remain relatively constant regardless of the incident short wave spectra (McComb, 2014) allows robust predictive methodologies to be developed to forecast the onset and the passing of these empirically-derived values. The governing IG height thresholds are: Hsless than 0.10m is safe and manageable for a well-tendered vessel; at Hs 0.10-0.15m caution is advised and additional management is recommended, and at Hsgreater than 0.15m active management is required. Management options include shore moorings, pneumatic fendering, ShoreTension, MoorMaster etc. Without intervention, IG conditions greater than 0.20m are universally considered dangerous. Further, IG heights are strongly modulated by tide at certain locations (Thomson, 2006), which creates rapidly changing conditions that compound the difficulties ensuring safe and effective operations. We selected five published methods to predict nearshore IG height (Lara 2004, McComb 2005, Okihiro 1992, Arduin 2014 and Cuomo 2017) and undertook an evaluation of their efficacy at two energetic ports on opposite sides of the Earth. The ports of Gijon in Spain and Taranaki in New Zealand both experience problematic moored ship motions and have been subject to numerous studies of their wave dynamics over previous decades. Consequently, there is a body of knowledge, operational experience and local data to make an evaluation. The purpose of this work is to offer pragmatic guidance to the developers of operational forecasting systems on the optimal method to predict IG heights for safe mooring of ships at berth. Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/8oCRQkMdcIo

Virtual Care for Indigenous Populations in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

BackgroundIndigenous people in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand experience an increased burden of chronic diseases compared to non-Indigenous people in these countries. Lack of necessary services and culturally relevant care for Indigenous people contributes to this burden. Many Indigenous communities have implemented systems, such as virtual care, to improve chronic disease management. Virtual care has extended beyond videoconferencing to include more advanced technologies, such as remote biometric monitoring devices. However, given the historical and ongoing Western intrusion into Indigenous day to day life, these technologies may seem more invasive and thus require additional research on their acceptability and utility within Indigenous populations.ObjectiveThe objective of this paper is to present the protocol for a scoping review, which aims to map existing evidence. This study is based on the following guiding research question: What are the characteristics of virtual care use by Indigenous adult populations in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand? The subquestions are related to the technology used, health conditions and nature of the virtual care, cultural safety, and key concepts for effective use.MethodsThis scoping review protocol is informed by the methodology described by the Joanna Briggs Institute and is supplemented by the frameworks proposed by Arksey and O’Malley and Levac et al. A search for published and gray literature, written in English, and published between 2000 and present will be completed utilizing electronic databases and search engines, including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Indigenous Peoples of North America, Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, Informit, and Native Health Database. Search results will be uploaded to the review software, Covidence, for title and abstract screening before full-text screening begins. This process will be repeated for gray literature. Upon completion, a data abstraction tool will organize the relevant information into categorical formations.ResultsThe search strategy has been confirmed, and the screening of titles and abstracts is underway. As of October 2020, we have identified over 300 articles for full-text screening.ConclusionsPrevious reviews have addressed virtual care within Indigenous communities. However, new virtual care technologies have since emerged; subsequently, additional literature has been published. Mapping and synthesizing this literature will inform new directions for research and discussion.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/21860

Point-of-Care Testing in Rural and Remote Settings to Improve Access and Improve Outcomes: A Snapshot of the New Zealand Experience.

Three key guiding principles of rural and remote clinical services are to improve health access, improve outcomes, and reduce inequity. In New Zealand, as in other countries, point-of-care testing and technologies can assist in clinical decision-making for acute and chronic conditions and can help to achieve these key health principles for people living in rural and remote locations. This report is a companion article to the other point-of-care testing topics in this special section in this journal. To provide readers with insights into where and how point-of-care testing devices and tests can be implemented to improve outcomes in New Zealand settings without on-site pathology laboratory support. The settings in which point-of-care testing devices are used, and the success stories associated with these initiatives, include general practices, pharmacies, workplaces, rural hospitals, and sexual health clinics. The information is extracted from published literature and also first-hand experience in remote and rural New Zealand settings. This report also outlines the regulatory and accreditation challenges relating to point-of-care testing devices in New Zealand and includes advice on the selection of devices, training, and ongoing quality assurance for this type of medical testing in remote locations. Point-of-care testing in rural remote settings without laboratory support can be challenging and rewarding for clinicians. It is now, and will be in the future, an even more important component of the health system to improve outcomes and reduce inequity.

Interrogating Antipodean Angst: New Zealand's Non-Muslim Majority Talk About Muslims

This study addresses Douglas Pratt's 2010 claim that New Zealand's non-Muslim majority experience “angst” in relation to a growing Muslim population. Based on interviews with non-Muslim New Zealanders we identified two key discourses. Firstly, participants constructed New Zealand as a safe haven and as tolerant and accepting of different religions and cultures. However, this tolerance and acceptance was conditional on Muslim assimilation and on participants’ sense of security and safety. Secondly, in constructing Muslims, gender-based oppression was created as problematic. Further, Muslims were constructed as not all terrorists, suggesting a default link between Islam and terrorism. Media was constructed as deliberately overplaying this link. Overall, angst about the increasing numbers of Muslims in New Zealand society was not identified. However, the core underlying stance was that, to be accepted, those with different social norms should assimilate and not threaten current cultural norms. Covert racism was highlighted in this study.

Cosmetic surgery treatment injuries: the New Zealand experience both at home and from cosmetic surgery tourism

Objective: This article attempts to understand the number of complications arising in patients returning to New Zealand from cosmetic surgery tourism destinations with reference to the number of patients with complications from cosmetic surgery undertaken in New Zealand. Methods: Data were requested under the New Zealand Official Information Act 1982 from the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) regarding the number of claims for treatment injury following cosmetic surgery undertaken both in New Zealand and overseas for the period 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2019. Also, a prospective audit was conducted of patients admitted to Middlemore Hospital over the one-year period March 2018 to March 2019 for complications arising as a result of cosmetic surgery tourism. Results: A total of 1048 claims were made to the ACC for treatment injuries arising from cosmetic surgery in New Zealand and from overseas treatment over the five-year period to 30 June 2019. Of these, 738 were accepted by the ACC, with the leading three events being breast reduction/reconstruction, breast implant/augmentation and septorhinoplasty. Bariatric surgery, vein treatment/sclerotherapy, orthodontics and isolated septoplasties were excluded by the ACC as not being ‘cosmetic surgery’. The ACC valued the total cost of treatment of these accepted claims at NZ$6.3 million dollars. Conclusion: Data outlining the complications arising from cosmetic surgery in New Zealand and overseas indicate a concerning burden of care required for patients who have had cosmetic surgery overseas.