Public Health Expert

Will liberalising nicotine availability increase quitting?

Public Health Expert • Apr 24, 2017

• e-cigarette,
• e-cigs,
• Nicotine,
• Smoking,
• smoking cessation,
• tobacco

Prof Janet Hoek, Mei-Ling Blank, Prof Nick Wilson, Lindsay Robertson, Dr Louise Marsh Do the New Zealand (NZ) Government’s proposed changes to liberalise the e-cigarette market set out a robust process for helping people who smoke to switch to e-cigarettes? In this blog, we discuss the proposed regulatory changes and explain some of the complex practices smokers must adopt … Read More

Is it time to pilot a test and treat programme for reducing the stomach cancer burden and inequalities in NZ?

Public Health Expert • Apr 18, 2017

• cancer,
• cost effectiveness,
• H. pylori,
• Maori,
• Pacific,
• QALY,
• Quality of life,
• screening,
• stomach cancer

Dr Andrea Teng, Dr Melissa McLeod, Professor Tony Blakely, Professor Nick Wilson  We have just published a modelling study on stomach cancer prevention in the international journal BMC Infectious Diseases (1). This blog briefly examines how a possible population screening programme, that tests and treats for infection by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori in the stomach, may be a cost-effective way to … Read More

What does art have to do with public health, and how can they work together?

Public Health Expert • Apr 12, 2017

• art,
• public health,
• science communication,
• Uncategorized

Jenny Ombler, Dr Sarah Donovan (University of Otago, Wellington) Last month was the first time that the Public Health Summer School (University of Otago, Wellington) has considered art, and its relationship to public health. The Symposium featured artists, arts academics, an architect, and public health practitioners and academics. In this blog we consider some of the issues raised … Read More

BMI keeps on going up – and reflections on the Diabesity Symposium

Public Health Expert • Mar 24, 2017

• BMI,
• diabesity,
• Diabetes,
• national data,
• Obesity,
• overwieght,
• weight

Professor Tony Blakely, Dr Kirsten Coppell, Dr Cristina Cleghorn, Dr Andrea Teng Is body mass index (BMI) relentlessly increasing in NZ, or plateauing? In this blog we present trends in BMI by ethnicity in NZ going back to the 1980s. Over the last four decades the annual increase in BMI is linear, relentless increasing; no sign of a plateau, yet. Read More

3

Why do so many fear the bicycle?

Public Health Expert • Mar 14, 2017

• active transport,
• biking,
• cycling,
• injury,
• public health,
• risk,
• road transport,
• rugby,
• transport

By Prof Alistair Woodward, Auckland University “It is too dangerous.” This is the reason given most commonly for not riding a bike on the road in New Zealand. In this blog, I summarise a paper we have just published quantifying the risk of cycling injury. We found it to be low compared to other activites that New Zealanders commonly engage … Read More

13

The marked decline of sudden mass fatality events in NZ (1900 to 2015)

Public Health Expert • Mar 01, 2017

• crashes,
• death,
• mass fatality,
• Mortality

By Professor Nick Wilson and Associate Professor George Thomson Our recently published study on sudden mass fatality events in NZ (10+ deaths per event) found that the occurrence and mortality burden of these events has declined over time. In this blog we consider possible reasons for this trend and make suggestions for improving the knowledge base around these events.  … Read More

Analysis of a new NZ Treasury Report on soft drink tax

Public Health Expert • Feb 28, 2017

• childhood obesity,
• Obesity,
• SSB,
• sugar,
• Sugar Tax,
• sugary drink,
• tax,
• treasury

By Professors Tony Blakely, Nick Wilson, Boyd Swinburn and Cliona Ni Mhurchu The Government has an action plan to tackle childhood obesity, but it lacks a tax on sugary drinks – a strategy for which there is good evidence.  A new Treasury Report on soft drink tax price elasticities has just emerged. It has the look of a strategically published … Read More

Front-of-pack nutrition labels improve understanding but not healthy food choices

Public Health Expert • Feb 03, 2017

• Diet,
• food labelling,
• food labels,
• health star rating,
• nutrition,
• traffic light labels

Prof Tony Blakely, Prof Cliona Ni Mhurchu The three labels study participants were randomised to: traffic light labels, health star rating and nutrition information. Health Star Rating and Traffic Light nutrition labels have a minor impact on New Zealand consumer healthy food choices, according to the Starlight trial –  a randomised trial just published from our HRC-funded DIET Programme … Read More

1

Improving New Zealand’s preparations for the next pandemic

Public Health Expert • Feb 01, 2017

• ebola,
• emerging infectious dieseases,
• Horizon Scan,
• Influenza,
• Pandemic,
• public health,
• SARS,
• zika

By Dr Julia Scott, Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Michael Baker.  In a globalised world an infectious disease outbreak anywhere is a potential threat to New Zealand. Recent such threats have included severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), pandemic influenza (2009), Ebola and Zika. In the context of an upcoming University of Otago, Wellington Public Health Summer School symposium on … Read More

The Brits are doing it: likely health benefits from a levy on soft drinks

Public Health Expert • Dec 16, 2016

• caries,
• dental health,
• Diabetes,
• nutrition,
• Obesity,
• public health,
• sugar,
• sugar levy,
• Sugar Tax,
• tax

By Prof Tony Blakely, Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Cristina Cleghorn, Dr Linda Cobiac A study published today finds that the UK soft drink levy being introduced in 2017 is likely to benefit health (reduced obesity, diabetes and dental caries) – when considering a range of different Drinks Industry responses. In this Blog we comment on these results and the … Read More

3