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Reevaluates the initial public offering (IPO) underpricing phenomenon using the stochastic frontier methodology. Theory of IPO underpricing; Advantages of using the stochastic frontier; Basic concept of a full-information IPO price frontier; Comparison of the estimated price discount of a particular stock in the premarket and the initial aftermarket return of that stock.

Abstract Background The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control calls for the elimination of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. To test whether tobacco packaging functions as advertising by communicating attractive and distinctive brand attributes, we explored how young adult smokers and non-smokers interpreted familiar and unfamiliar tobacco brands. Methods We conducted an on-line survey of 1035 young adult smokers and non-smokers aged 18–30. Participants evaluated eight tobacco brands using ten attributes based on brand personality scales. We used factor analysis and ANOVA to examine patterns in brand-attribute associations. Results Young adults distinguished between brands on the basis of their packaging alone, associated each brand with specific attributes, and were equally able to interpret familiar and unfamiliar brands. Contrary to our expectations, non-smokers made more favourable brand-attribute associations than smokers, but both groups described Basic, a near generic brand, as ‘plain’ or ‘budget’. There were no significant gender or ethnicity differences. Conclusions Tobacco packaging uses logos, colours and imagery to create desirable connotations that promote and reinforce smoking. By functioning in the same way as advertising, on-pack branding breaches Article 13 of the FCTC and refutes tobacco companies’ claims that pack livery serves only as an indentifying device that simplifies smokers’ decision-making. Given this evidence, signatories should see plain packaging policies as a priority consistent with their FCTC obligations to eliminate all tobacco advertising and promotion.

Abstract Background Most research on the impact of mind-body training does not ask about participants' baseline experience, expectations, or preferences for training. To better plan participant-centered mind-body intervention trials for nurses to reduce occupational stress, such descriptive information would be valuable. Methods We conducted an anonymous email survey between April and June, 2010 of North American nurses interested in mind-body training to reduce stress. The e-survey included: demographic characteristics, health conditions and stress levels; experiences with mind-body practices; expected health benefits; training preferences; and willingness to participate in future randomized controlled trials. Results Of the 342 respondents, 96% were women and 92% were Caucasian. Most (73%) reported one or more health conditions, notably anxiety (49%); back pain (41%); GI problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (34%); or depression (33%). Their median occupational stress level was 4 (0 = none; 5 = extreme stress). Nearly all (99%) reported already using one or more mind-body practices to reduce stress: intercessory prayer (86%), breath-focused meditation (49%), healing or therapeutic touch (39%), yoga/tai chi/qi gong (34%), or mindfulness-based meditation (18%). The greatest expected benefits were for greater spiritual well-being (56%); serenity, calm, or inner peace (54%); better mood (51%); more compassion (50%); or better sleep (42%). Most (65%) wanted additional training; convenience (74% essential or very important), was more important than the program's reputation (49%) or scientific evidence about effectiveness (32%) in program selection. Most (65%) were willing to participate in a randomized trial of mind-body training; among these, most were willing to collect salivary cortisol (60%), or serum biomarkers (53%) to assess the impact of training. Conclusions Most nurses interested in mind-body training already engage in such practices. They have greater expectations about spiritual and emotional than physical benefits, but are willing to participate in studies and to collect biomarker data. Recruitment may depend more on convenience than a program's scientific basis or reputation. Knowledge of participants' baseline experiences, expectations, and preferences helps inform future training and research on mind-body approaches to reduce stress.

Objective: Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent around the world and are associated with significant disability, comorbidity and costs to society. Digital tools have the potential to deliver equitable, convenient and sustainable interventions for anxiety. We aimed to co-design and pilot-test an in-the-moment intervention to help young people manage anxiety. Young people with lived experience of anxiety were recruited to participate in co-design workshops with the results informing the development of the Tackling Anxiety through Innovation (TAI) intervention. TAI delivers personally tailored messaging prompting engagement in self-care behaviours at times of high anxiety/stress., Methods: Young people aged 16 to 24 years were recruited into a four-week pilot study. Participants completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21) at baseline and four-week follow up, as well as a survey to assess the acceptability of the intervention and its components., Results: Participants (n = 24) reported the intervention to be highly acceptable and useful. Participants scheduled an average of eight events over the 4 weeks. DASS-21 scores improved significantly from baseline to follow up: anxiety (mean difference 2.42 (SD = 3.65), p = 0.004), depression (3.79 (SD = 3.65), p < 0.001) and stress (3.50 (SD = 3.30), p < 0.001). Participants particularly liked the ability to personalise the messages, the timing and format of the messages, and the reminders to engage in helpful behaviours., Conclusions: This study adds to the evidence for the use of digital tools in delivering tailored anxiety self-management support to young people. Further refinement and expansion of the intervention are needed to determine its efficacy on a larger scale., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

As wearable devices, which allow individuals to track and self-manage their health, become more ubiquitous, the opportunities are growing for researchers to use these sensors within interventions and for data collection. They offer access to data that are captured continuously, passively, and pragmatically with minimal user burden, providing huge advantages for health research. However, the growth in their use must be coupled with consideration of their potential limitations, in particular, digital inclusion, data availability, privacy, ethics of third-party involvement, data quality, and potential for adverse consequences. In this paper, we discuss these issues and strategies used to prevent or mitigate them and recommendations for researchers using wearables as part of interventions or for data collection., (©Rosie Dobson, Melanie Stowell, Jim Warren, Taria Tane, Lin Ni, Yulong Gu, Judith McCool, Robyn Whittaker. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 21.11.2023.)

Aims: The use of electronic cigarettes (EC) among young people has escalated in Aotearoa and in other jurisdictions where they are available commercially. The rise in vaping among young people for lifestyle reasons rather than for smoking cessation is of concern, given the growing evidence of the harmful effects of vaping. Specifically, there is little known about how young people in Aotearoa perceive the effect of vaping on their oral health. This study aims to explore how young people in Aotearoa perceive risks of vaping on oral health., Methods: A cross-sectional online survey (n=237) was conducted to explore young people's (16-24 years) perceptions, current practices and attitudes regarding vaping and oral health., Results: Although most participants understood that vaping posed risks to their general health, they reported lower levels of perceived risk of vaping on oral health. Current vapers held significantly lower perceptions of both the addictiveness and harms associated with vaping. Participants reported that oral health professionals seldom asked them about their vaping status. Most participants were open to discussing with oral health professionals the effects of vaping on their oral health, suggesting that they would be less likely to vape if they knew it was bad for their oral health., Conclusions: The findings indicate that there is a need for improved information for young people communicating the potential oral health risks of vaping and that oral health professionals are a way to disseminate this information., Competing Interests: Nil, (© PMA.)

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific are heavily reliant on imported foods which are often nutritionally deficient, and typically high in salt, fat, and sugar. To curb nutrition-related non-communicable diseases, nutrition policies are needed to create food environments that promote healthy diets. However, international trade and investment agreements (TIAs) may interfere with the policy space for SIDS to regulate their food environments by requiring member states to meet trade obligations that could conflict with their nutrition policy goals. In this review, we identify real examples of where TIAs have been responsible for changes in Pacific SIDS' nutrition policies alongside the potential for further constraints on healthy nutrition policies from Pacific Island participation in TIAs. In addition, we note the effects of regulatory chill from TIA obligations in Pacific SIDS, whereby healthy nutrition policies are not considered, developed, or implemented due to the threat of trade disputes or the complexity of TIA procedural requirements. Existing literature indicates that TIAs have shaped nutrition policies to fit within the global trade paradigm despite SIDS' nutrition policy imperatives. More can be done locally, regionally, and internationally to increase the importance of nutrition in the trade agenda, leverage regional institutions to champion nutrition regulation and support SIDS in navigating the trade and nutrition policy environment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Bunkley, McCool and Garton.)

Introduction Queer-identifying (non-heterosexual) men report higher rates of tobacco and e-cigarette use than the general population. The advent of e-cigarettes as a commercial product in Aotearoa New Zealand has been accompanied by aggressive marketing and a sharp uptake in use, especially among young people. Recent evidence suggests that e-cigarettes are widely used for purposes other than smoking cessation. Aim This study investigated how vaping is perceived and the role e-cigarettes play in the daily lives of young queer users. Methods Using focus groups with a semi-structured interview proforma, we interviewed twelve young queer men between July and August 2021. Interviews were queer-led, conducted via Zoom, and lasted up to 2 h. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim for subsequent inductive and thematic analysis. Results Of the twelve participants, 10 were daily users, and two described themselves as 'social vapers'. We found strong evidence for minority and intra-minority stress as a driver to uptake and continued use of e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes were also used to navigate new social and cultural spaces and as currency for integration into various social milieux, including both mainstream and gay community spaces. There was little support for queer-targeted cessation initiatives. Discussion Vaping is highly socially acceptable within queer communities where it is a facilitator of social integration, managing stress and quitting tobacco.

Introduction Prediabetes is a condition of elevated blood sugar levels which can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) if not managed effectively. Prediabetes is likely to affect about 24.6% of New Zealand (NZ) adults, with estimates of 29% of the Pacific population currently living with the condition. A prediabetes diagnosis is an opportunity for intervention from trusted primary care providers. The study aim was to describe primary healthcare clinician's knowledge and practice regarding screening, diagnosing and management of prediabetes in Pacific patients. Methods An online survey was conducted with current practicing primary healthcare clinicians between February and April 2021. Eligible participants included clinicians employed in a primary healthcare clinic with over 50% of enrolled patients identified as Pacific. Results Primary healthcare clinicians (n  = 30) reported that their prediabetes screening, diagnosis and management were aligned with the NZ Ministry of Health clinical guidelines. The most common factors that prompted screening was a family history of T2D (25/30, 83%), ethnicity (24/30, 80%) weight and BMI (24/30, 80%). The initial management practices involved providing recommendations for dietary changes and physical activity (28/30, 93%) and referring patients to a diabetes prevention lifestyle change programme (16/30, 53%). Discussion Primary healthcare clinicians are the foremost point of engagement with patients and their fāmili (family) in their health journey. Culturally appropriate tools could be useful to assist healthcare providers to communicate to a higher risk population and most clinicians rely on up to date guidelines for screening and management.

Background: With anxiety a growing issue and barriers to accessing support services, there is a need for innovative solutions to provide early intervention. In-the-moment interventions support individuals to recognize early signs of distress and use coping mechanisms to prevent or manage this distress. There is potential for wearable sensors linked to an individual's mobile phone to provide in-the-moment support tailored to individual needs and physiological responses., Objective: The aim of this scoping review is to examine the role of sensors in detecting the physiological signs of anxiety to initiate and direct interventions for its management., Methods: Relevant studies were identified through searches conducted in Embase, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, ProQuest, and Scopus. Studies were identified if they were conducted with people with stress or anxiety or at risk of anxiety and included a wearable sensor providing real-time data for in-the-moment management of anxiety., Results: Of the 1087 studies identified, 11 studies were included in the review, including 5 randomized controlled trials and 6 pilot or pretesting studies. The results showed that most studies successfully demonstrated improvements in their target variables. This included overall anxiety and stress levels, and the implementation of in-the-moment stress and anxiety management techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing. There was wide variation in the types of sensors used, physiological measures, and sensor-linked interventions., Conclusions: This review indicates that sensors are potentially a useful tool in detecting anxiety and facilitating the implementation of a known control mechanism to reduce anxiety and improve mood, but further work is needed to understand the acceptability and effectiveness of this type of intervention., (©Rosie Dobson, Linwei Lily Li, Katie Garner, Taria Tane, Judith McCool, Robyn Whittaker. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (https://mental.jmir.org), 02.02.2023.)

E-cigarette companies claim their products are key to improving health outcomes by providing smokers with lower-risk alternatives. However, the rapid uptake of e-cigarettes among young people has prompted concern about company marketing practices. In 2019, there was no legislation to govern e-cigarette marketing in New Zealand. This period provides an ideal context for examining how e-cigarette companies promoted their products before the introduction of marketing regulations. We conducted a content analysis of the Instagram accounts of five prominent e-cigarette retailers based in New Zealand during 2019-2020. We assessed health- and risk-related claims and marketing techniques. Less than 10% of Instagram posts refer to smoking alternatives or risk of nicotine addiction. E-cigarette devices were more likely to be promoted for stylistic features such as colours and ease of use (29.7%). Music festival sponsorship (19.1%), social media influencers (9.2%), and lifestyle marketing (41.5%) were identified as youth-oriented promotional strategies. E-cigarette retailers claim to promote harm-reduction tools to smokers, yet this study finds few references to smoking alternatives in any content. Instead, retailers utilised strategies to engage with a young audience, including festival sponsorship and stylish influencers. This youth-oriented marketing, in combination with weak and delayed government action, may have contributed to the high use of e-cigarettes among young New Zealanders.

Objectives: Scientific evidence to support the development of appropriate policy for electronic cigarette use is limited by rapidly changing technology and a lack of long-term data. Perceptions of risk and benefits determine diverse framings of the e-cigarette debate and complicate policy decisions. E-cigarette use by smokers who are attempting to quit may result in improved health outcomes, while their use among young people and non-smokers may lead to adverse health consequences. The purpose of this study was to identify the types of evidence used during public consultations on proposed revisions to New Zealand's e-cigarette legislation in 2020., Methods: Using submissions to parliament made by the tobacco/e-cigarette industry and the health sector, we assessed the cited evidence for quality and independence measured by publication type and tobacco industry connections. We identified themes from a sub-sample of frequently cited evidence to understand how stakeholders and organisations used evidence., Results: The sample consisted of 57 submissions from the e-cigarette and tobacco industry (n = 21) and health organisations (n = 36). A total of 442 pieces of evidence were cited at least once. Health organisations were more likely to cite peer-reviewed evidence (OR = 2.99). The industry was more likely to cite evidence outside of peer review and sources with tobacco industry connections (OR = 4.08). In the sample of frequently cited evidence, youth prevalence and flavours were the most common themes. In some cases the same evidence was used by both groups to support opposing policy positions., Conclusions: The industry continues to rely more heavily on evidence published outside of the peer-review process, which is, therefore, subjected to less scientific scrutiny. By using a smoking-cessation or harm-reduction narrative, the industry could be seen as a legitimate stakeholder in policy development., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction Hearing is a primary sense that facilitates the development of spoken language, social connection and an appreciation of sounds within the natural world. Hearing loss has multiple adverse effects across the life course. Understanding the worldviews of ear and hearing health in Pacific peoples is crucial to inform responsive and appropriate hearing health and primary healthcare services. Aim To understand the worldviews, knowledge and beliefs held by the Niuean community in Niue towards ear and hearing health, and the use of healthcare methods to contribute to service development. Methods Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with Niuean community members. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using thematic analysis methods. Results Niuean people value hearing health as an important way to communicate and connect with each other. They are proactive health seekers, have good knowledge about ear disease and hearing health and use mainstream medicines alongside spiritual practices and traditional remedies to maintain good ear and hearing health. The hospital system is responsive and accessible to the community's needs, contrasting with Pacific people's access to hearing health services in New Zealand. Discussion There is a high level of awareness of the importance of hearing health amongst the Niuean community and good accessibility and utilisation of healthcare services. There is potential to implement locally focused ear and hearing health strategies in Niue and conduct hearing health research among the New Zealand-based Niuean community to improve primary healthcare services delivery.

Most countries have implemented restrictions on mobility to prevent the spread of Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), entailing considerable societal costs but, at least initially, based on limited evidence of effectiveness. We asked whether mobility restrictions were associated with changes in the occurrence of COVID-19 in 34 OECD countries plus Singapore and Taiwan. Our data sources were the Google Global Mobility Data Source, which reports different types of mobility, and COVID-19 cases retrieved from the dataset curated by Our World in Data. Beginning at each country's 100th case, and incorporating a 14-day lag to account for the delay between exposure and illness, we examined the association between changes in mobility (with January 3 to February 6, 2020 as baseline) and the ratio of the number of newly confirmed cases on a given day to the total number of cases over the past 14 days from the index day (the potentially infective 'pool' in that population), per million population, using LOESS regression and logit regression. In two-thirds of examined countries, reductions of up to 40% in commuting mobility (to workplaces, transit stations, retailers, and recreation) were associated with decreased cases, especially early in the pandemic. Once both mobility and incidence had been brought down, further restrictions provided little additional benefit. These findings point to the importance of acting early and decisively in a pandemic.

Background: Pacific people living in New Zealand, Australia, United States, and the Pacific region continue to experience a disproportionately high burden of long-term conditions, making culturally contextualised behaviour change interventions a priority. The primary aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of behaviour change interventions designed to improve health and effect health behaviour change among Pacific people., Methods: Electronic searches were carried out on OVID Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed, Embase and SCOPUS databases (initial search January 2019 and updated in January 2020) for studies describing an intervention designed to change health behaviour(s) among Pacific people. Titles and abstracts of 5699 papers were screened; 201 papers were then independently assessed. A review of full text was carried out by three of the authors resulting in 208 being included in the final review. Twenty-seven studies were included, published in six countries between 1996 and 2020., Results: Important characteristics in the interventions included meaningful partnerships with Pacific communities using community-based participatory research and ensuring interventions were culturally anchored and centred on collectivism using family or social support. Most interventions used social cognitive theory, followed by popular behaviour change techniques instruction on how to perform a behaviour and social support (unspecified). Negotiating the spaces between Eurocentric behaviour change constructs and Pacific worldviews was simplified using Pacific facilitators and talanoa. This relational approach provided an essential link between academia and Pacific communities., Conclusions: This systematic search and narrative synthesis provides new and important insights into potential elements and components when designing behaviour change interventions for Pacific people. The paucity of literature available outside of the United States highlights further research is required to reflect Pacific communities living in New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific region. Future research needs to invest in building research capacity within Pacific communities, centering self-determining research agendas and findings to be led and owned by Pacific communities.

Migration, when it occurs during adolescence, is particularly challenging as it coincides with a myriad of other developmental and social changes. The present study set out to explore recent young migrants' experiences of settling in New Zealand. The qualitative study aimed to identify areas of particular challenge, examples of resilience and new insights into the acculturation process. Focus group interviews were conducted with migrant youth aged 16-19 from three urban secondary schools in Auckland The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed using a general inductive method. Key themes centered on new beginnings, confronting new realities, acceptance, support seeking and overcoming challenges. Young migrants in this study shared similar challenges during the early post-migration period. They were often faced with additional responsibility, being caught between two cultures while struggling with communication and language. However, they were able to draw on their own self-growth, gratitude, and social connections. This study provides an insight into experiences of young migrants in New Zealand, and offers suggestions for developing culturally relevant support to foster migrant youth wellbeing.

Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors completed the ICMJE Unified Competing Interest form (available upon request from the corresponding author), and declare no conflicts of interest.

In this work, a fed-batch fermentation development was performed with recombinant E. coli carrying the PhoA promoter system. The phosphate concentrations tested for this PhoA strain, 2.79 mM to 86.4 mM, were beyond the concentrations previously evaluated for cell growth and product titer. The results from the scouting work was used for design of experiments (DoE) where a range of phosphate levels from 27.1 mM to 86.4 mM was simultaneously evaluated with temperature, pH and DO set points. Definitive screening was used to evaluate these parameters simultaneously and the results indicate that fermentation temperature and phosphate content are the major contributors of product titer. The other factors tested such as pH had a minimal effect and DO had no impact on product titer.

Background: Prediabetes is a precursor for type 2 diabetes. Compared to the New Zealand/European and other population groups (24.6%), the prevalence of prediabetes is higher within Pacific groups (29.8%). The diagnosis of prediabetes presents a potential opportunity to intervene to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes., Objective: To develop an understanding of how being 'at risk' of developing type 2 diabetes is perceived by Tongan people with prediabetes living in Auckland, New Zealand., Methods: The Kakala and Talanga Tongan methodologies underpinned this study. Twelve one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with Tongan patients who had prediabetes from a primary health-care clinic in Auckland, New Zealand, were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurrent themes from the data., Results: Participants were not aware of their prediabetes diagnosis, emotions associated with the diagnosis reflected fear and disbelief and a perception of imminent danger. Family history informed perceptions of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Participants could not differentiate prediabetes from type 2 diabetes, and recollections of being 'back in the Islands' of Tonga were consistent with healthy lifestyles., Conclusions: Prediabetes appeared to be poorly understood and was believed to be irreversible, which could discourage behaviour change, social and physical improvements in health. Appropriate culturally tailored messages to accompany a prediabetes diagnosis, including cause and management, would be beneficial for Pacific peoples., (© 2020 The Authors Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)