604 Results

  • Surviving winter: NZ’s journey through 145 years of seasonal survival – New study

    … Winter Mortality (EWM) in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) for a 145 year period (from 1876 to 2020). We found that the … to 1.14 in the 2010s. In percentage terms, there was a favourable decline in winter excess deaths from 7.9% of … the combined previous and subsequent 4-month periods, and after some adjustment, expresses the excess as a ratio. The …
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  • Can earthquakes be good for public health?

    … There is no doubt that earthquakes have historically had a terrible impact on human populations – and the shocking … improved urban design and new energy efficient buildings. After earthquakes it may be possible to apply … use. Being trapped in lifts can occur with even relatively mild earthquakes – sometimes because power supplies get …
    Briefing

  • False zombie arguments about illicit tobacco shouldn’t be given any more oxygen

    … direction: illicit tobacco use has not increased as a proportion of the tobacco market, despite substantial … our smoke-free legislation should be reversed to enable a rapid and equitable fall in smoking and, with it, the … lacking a logical or empirical foundation. 1 Repeated often enough, many people may come to believe these claims,   …
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  • Increasing speed limits defies the science - more deaths and pollution expected

    … In 2023, 341 people died in road crashes in NZ . In around a third of these, speed was a contributing factor , and this proportion rises to over … people use time savings to be more productive, which they often don’t. 15 In fact, making it easier to travel further …
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  • A century of health inequalities in NZ – new data

    … they have always been there. We have just published a study that looks at two historical datasets – with one of … is an important risk factor for health internationally. A recent meta-analysis of 48 cohort studies reported that low … [1]. This work estimated that low SEP is associated with a 2.1-year reduction in life expectancy between ages 40 and …
    Briefing

  • We need to talk about breast cancer screening (part 2)

    … Editor note: This is Part 2 of a two-part blog by Dr Caroline Shaw and Associate Professor … be re-evaluated, for optimistic and pessimistic scenarios. A media release also accompanies this blog. Dr Caroline Shaw … cancer screening with the best will and understanding at a specific point in time. As with many healthcare issues, …
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  • Physical activity or nutrition interventions: which can improve population health the most and save the most health dollars?

    … We gave a presentation to Members of Parliament last week on taxes … (National MP for Taupo, and Senior Government Whip) asked a good triple whammy question: What interventions achieve … taxes on tobacco and alcohol. The table below, taken from a Lancet paper, is a summary of many research projects in …
    Briefing

  • Evidence for free school lunches: Are they worth investing in?

    … children in Aotearoa New Zealand will benefit; undertaking a formal cost-effectiveness study; and building in more … insufficient food, reported on average feeling 20% fuller after lunch than before the programme. 4 Furthermore, lunches … than 33% of daily nutrient requirements for growth and cognitive development. 5 Diet-related health outcomes include …
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  • Public Health Solutions Series: Stemming the tide of cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand

    … health measures to reduce demand on healthcare quickly. In a recent issue of the medical journal The Lancet , a colleague and I had the opportunity to co-author a … programme could identify those with the hepatitis infection, and provide ongoing liver surveillance to find …
    Briefing

  • Proposed vaping regulations for NZ: Strengths and limitations

    … contains some important provisions as it works to strike a balance between ensuring regulated products are available … vaping uptake by young people that we summarised in a previous blog and clarifies that the ban on tobacco … area provisions so these apply to regulated products, a measure that we have supported previously. 1   Beliefs that …
    Briefing

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Public Health Expert Briefing (ISSN 2816-1203)