654 Results

  • Digesting things further: High dietary salt intakes are almost certainly problematic

    … the previous blog post). Again, though, we struggle to see how this formula could generate a spurious U-shape curve – … but BMI does have a U-shape association with CVD risk in many studies. The PURE Study adjusted for BMI, but we suspect … Dr Nisha Nair Acknowledgements: We thank very much those people who commented on the previous blog and also those who …
    Briefing

  • A National risks assessment should include pandemics and other global catastrophes

    … the NZ Government. In this blog we discuss its merits and how the process could be further advanced. In particular … This should be addressed and any concerns about ‘scaring people’ need to be set aside so that high impact but rare … but catastrophic scenarios which risk harm to very many NZ citizens and where there may be low-hanging fruit for …
    Briefing

  • Young New Zealanders want a tobacco-free future - new research

    … Aotearoa’s world-leading smokefree law flies in the face of public opinion, with new research demonstrating strong … been shown to enjoy wide public support , including among people who smoke . The measures the new government is set to … shown that, rather than limiting their ‘freedom’ to smoke, many young smokers see these measures as supporting their …
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  • Food poverty for NZ teens creating an achievement lag of up to four years

    … since 2018, and this is partially explained by the number of students coming to school hungry. For the first time, the … time, PISA 2022 student wellbeing data included data on how many teenagers went hungry due to a lack of money for food, …
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  • A public health perspective on taxing harmful products

    … has set up a Tax Working Group to consider reforms of the tax system. In this blog we briefly discuss some of … the negative externalities and “tax as a tool” principles, many other products warrant consideration for tax over and … addition to harms for the drinker, various NZ studies show how important harm to others from alcohol in this country …
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  • The alarms are flashing red: Five reasons to upgrade our Alert Level system before the next Covid-positive traveller visits a major city

    … and the system needs to change with it to keep NZ ahead of the pandemic.  In this blog we summarise our … the Alert Level system and describe the benefits of an upgraded system: to better protect us from outbreaks, … worsened pre-existing food insecurity and hunger. 5 Many have experienced considerable distress through being …
    Briefing

  • Avoidable hospitalisations: Helping our health system get through COVID-19

    … where thousands of New Zealanders are sick – including many urgently hospitalised. 1 Better resilience for our … are much more likely after even light alcohol use. 7 How can we reduce non-COVID-19 ED use? So in the time of … improving prison health services and shifting more people onto home detention. In summary, this blog has …
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  • Protecting fresh waterways in Aotearoa/NZ: The strong Public Health case

    … Protecting waterways has the benefits of: (1) protecting water from hazardous microbes; (2) … of the need for water treatment. Such treatment costs many millions of dollars per year and indeed Auckland Council is planning to spend $7 …
    Briefing

  • Can we manage dual use of smoking and vaping more effectively?

    … Although most smokers want to quit, many of those who begin vaping continue to smoke. We recently … in an in-depth study of 20 dual users, defined as people who reported smoking and vaping at least once a month. … due to feelings of embarrassment over their ENDS use. How can full transition to vaping be supported in NZ? Our …
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  • World Ventil8 Day – How do our buildings measure up?

    … fresh air into indoor spaces while removing stale air. As people spend around 90% of their day indoors, the air we … rely on occupants to ventilate buildings – that means how fresh the air is comes down to how often and how well … air quality. However, it is increasingly recognised in many other jurisdictions throughout the world that relying on …
    Briefing

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Public Health Expert Briefing (ISSN 2816-1203)