Search

Access to tertiary education is a challenge for many people from refugee-backgrounds. In Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), resettled refugees are entitled to access education alongside other New Zealanders, and NZ's resettlement policy material recognises education as a key pillar of resettlement. However, refugee-background students are not recognised as 'priority learners' in education policy, so educational institutions are not required to report on refugee-background students' educational access or outcomes. At all levels of the education system, teaching and support practices for refugee-background students vary widely. Many barriers hamper refugee-background students' access to and success in tertiary education. However, refugee-background students are also necessarily-skilful border navigators. In this paper, we share data from an in-progress participatory action research project based in southern NZ that involves collaborating with refugee-background students at the secondary-tertiary education border. After describing the project, its rationale, and our theoretical framework, we draw on insights from seven of the students to illustrate how students represented educational navigation in NZ: as a resistance project, a subterranean project, and a relational project. We conclude by suggesting some implications from our study for research, policy and practice in education.

This study aims to identify the literacy skills of individuals whose highest level of education was in the field 'teacher training and educational sciences'. The study sample comprised 10,618 individuals in the field of teacher training and educational sciences, selected from 31 countries (participating in the International Adult Skills Assessment Programme during the 2014-2015 survey) using a multi-stage sampling method. The study employed multi-level latent class analysis and three-step analysis in order to determine both the number of multi-level latent classes of educators' literacy scores as well as the selected independent variables' success in predicting those latent classes. The analysis revealed that educators in Germany constituted the group with the highest literacy skills while educators from Singapore comprised the group with the lowest literacy skills. [This study was presented at the 9th International Congress of Educational Research. Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey.]

Background: Historical socio-political processes have produced gross inequity of health resource for Aboriginal Australians and New Zealand Māori. Objectives: This paper argues that socio-political factors resulting from the entrenchment of colonialism have produced significant personal and structural barriers to the utilisation of healthcare services and directly impact the health status of these two vulnerable groups. Design: Discussion Paper. Conclusions: Understanding the actual barriers preventing the utilisation of healthcare facilities, as perceived by Indigenous people, is essential in reducing the gross disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous morbidity and mortality in Australia and New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue on poverty, schooling and research and to tease out and discuss some of the concepts that this kind of writing and research work provokes. We frame the issue, briefly introduce each paper and then discuss "keywords" in four sections: living/knowledge, justice/connection, weakness/education, and affect/anxiety.

Much research has been made in recent years on the effect of over and under education on earnings. In this paper, I examine the validity of the assumption that the return to over (under) education is independent of the level of education. I use data from the PIAAC survey to estimate the return to education. The findings show that while this assumption might be valid for the return to under-education, it seems to be wrong for estimating the return to over-education. I offer an alternative model where the return to over-education or under-education is not linear and depends on the level of education.

Considerable academic attention has been placed on analysing whether, and to what extent, socioeconomic background affects higher education participation. However, the use of socioeconomic status (SES) is problematic as it may be constructed from various data sources. Similar issues can be inherent in study design-related operationalisation decisions. This paper proposes a meta-method analysis to deconstruct the concept of SES and to investigate the study designs in 31 studies reporting on socioeconomic inequalities in Finland and New Zealand. The paper highlights the key operationalisation decisions undertaken and the diversity of methodological approaches, calling into question the within- and cross-country comparability of the findings. The review also produces an improved understanding of limitations and strengths of the existing knowledge based in the two case countries and suggests avenues for further research.

In higher education music instrument teaching, there is a strong tradition of high-level performers being recruited to teach advanced students within the private studio despite the fact these educators often have no training in pedagogy. The studio environment also continues to be dominated by the one-to-one lesson format and the master-apprentice tradition. While the literature overviews a long history of the master-apprentice tradition in various fields, there is to date minimal empirical research that specifically evidences the extent to which it is cyclical in nature. This paper reports on survey data from 54 current tertiary educators across four countries who were asked to identify the key influences on how they work within the music studio. The data point not only to the influence of the master-apprentice tradition, but also to the fact that most current educators rely on previous teachers and experiences of teaching to inform their pedagogy.

Problems of overeducation and overqualification in developed countries have attracted the attention of policymakers and researchers alike. While these phenomena have been clearly conceptualised, their measurement remains complex and controversial. This paper presents an overview of the phenomena and map overeducation and overqualification across countries. Drawing on a broad set of definitions from the literature, they quantify the intensity of overeducation and overqualification for a set of countries that participated in the first two rounds of the OECD's Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). The results highlight marked differences across countries. However, maps differ according to the focus adopted -- be it overeducation or overqualification -- and are also highly sensitive to the specific definition of occupational mismatch selected. Policymakers clearly need to be cautious when interpreting overeducation/overqualification figures. The analysis also allows to further discuss the strengths and limitations of PIAAC for studying overeducation and overqualification.

This paper reports on progress to date with a project underway in New Zealand involving the extraction of data from multiple government agencies that is then combined into one comprehensive longitudinal integrated dataset and made available to trial participants in a way never previously thought possible. The dataset includes school leaver achievement data, enrolments and completions data from the tertiary education sector, with earnings data in the years after graduation from the Inland Revenue Department, government assistance through benefit dependency data from the Ministry of Social Development, and border-crossings data from Customs. This dataset allows us to track the destinations and earnings of graduates over a number of years after they have lost contact with the institution. This is authoritative population level data on some of the variables we all measure in other ways that is presented in one simple table and tracked over the years. In the first instance, analysis of the data has focused on young graduates as this is a priority group in New Zealand. Through Massey University's participation, however, and because of our interest in data for our slightly different student demographic, we have been able to extend the analysis and utility to include data for all age groups and thus make use of a very comprehensive set of information. This article describes the data governance through Statistics New Zealand, analysis via the Ministry of Education, and the potential utility of the data for one participating tertiary provider.

One of the key goals within the global higher education sector is to continue to improve current practice in learning and teaching. Associated with this push is accountability or compliance, in terms of institutional leaders and teaching staff being able to evidence the ways in which student learning outcomes are achieved. A current area of focus in higher education is the concept of learner-centred teaching, where the student is expected to contribute more to the teaching and learning transactions. Amidst this context, this paper focuses on the applied studio teaching model in music, also known as the one-to-one lesson. Involving 54 current practitioners across four countries, survey findings reveal that numerous teachers have had no formal training in pedagogy and thus describe their teaching in different ways to those that have had training. Implications for professional development of applied studio teachers are discussed and suggestions for further research are also presented.

This paper examines the associations between attendance at early childhood education (ECE) and longer-term academic attainment and socioeconomic wellbeing in a New Zealand birth cohort studied to age 30. Nearly 95% of the cohort had attended ECE by age 5. After adjustment for family background and child characteristics, results showed statistically significant trends for increasing duration of ECE attendance to be associated with: greater attainment of high school and university qualifications and higher adult socioeconomic wellbeing (income, employment, occupational status); effect size estimates were small to moderate. No evidence was found for differential effects of ECE attendance across subgroups defined by child: ethnicity, gender, parental education or socioeconomic status. The implications of these findings are discussed.

English language instruction in New Zealand's Maori-medium schools is controversial, with many schools either excluding it from their curriculum or adopting a tokenistic approach. Yet, how Maori-medium educators can best support their students' academic English language growth is still an under-researched and unresolved question. This paper reports on a project involving the English language transition programmes of three Maori-medium primary schools. Interviews and observations of key personnel within these schools revealed the components of their programmes, their perceptions of the need for English transition education and the issues they were facing in implementing English language instruction. The project found a direct relationship between levels of student language attainment and the quantity and quality of exposure to English instruction. Where an English programme occupied a significant place in a school's timetable and was staffed by teachers knowledgeable about the learning needs of bilingual students and how best to attend to these, the result was higher literacy scores and more satisfied students. This paper argues that planning English language outcomes for Maori-medium students is essential if becoming biliterate is an important aim. This planning must also be long-term, across all 13 years of the students' education. (Contains 13 notes.)

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the relative importance of the motives and sub-motives which influence a highly educated individual's decision to move across global boundaries. Design/methodology/approach: The approach takes a multi-dimensional perspective of mobility, resulting in the development of a range of motives for self-initiated mobility. The paper employs a quantitative methodology, with over 2,600 internet survey responses from highly educated New Zealanders living and working around the world. Findings: The importance of the cultural and travel opportunities and career motives are highlighted as the most important motives in a decision to be mobile. Within these motives, opportunities for travel and adventure and for career development were central. Economics was ranked as the third most important motive, contrary to the extant literature, followed by relationships, quality of life and the political environment. The priority accorded to each of these motives varies according to gender, location and life stage, creating different equations of motivation. The paper explores the implications of these findings to career theory. Research limitations/implications: The study focuses only on New Zealanders living abroad and there may be some factors, which apply to these people but not to people from other countries. Practical implications: The data could be useful for policy makers trying to either retain highly educated people in the home country, or to attract them back from abroad. Originality/value: The study utilises a novel methodology to identify the relative importance of motivating factors and shows that there is a different mixture of these motives at different life stages. (Contains 6 figures and 3 tables.)

This paper raises questions regarding the ability of new qualifications frameworks and assessment systems to promote innovation and social inclusion. Of interest in this paper is the centrality of tacit skill in promoting innovation. Tacit skill is central to innovation, although its positional character is not well understood by policy-makers. It is argued that the relationship between tacit skill and innovation throws doubt on the relationship between assessment led change, and on the social and economic objectives of New Labour (in the UK) and the Labour-led Coalition (in New Zealand). This paper also reviews recent changes in the funding of higher education in New Zealand and in the UK, and explores the impact of economic change on the competition for advancement through education. This paper concludes by arguing that innovation and social inclusion are not compatible.

Introduction. Globally, yoga has gained popularity as a health-promoting and disease-prevention discipline. The common health conditions prompting yoga use include musculoskeletal disorders, mental health conditions, asthma, fibromyalgia, arthritis, diabetes, and cancers. Although the therapeutic benefits of using yoga are well documented, little is known about the characteristics of yoga instructors (YIs) and yoga users (YUs) in New Zealand (NZ). Aim. This paper seeks to profile the characteristics of NZ YIs and YUs and explore reasons for yoga use. Methods. Online surveys for YIs and YUs were conducted to collect the sociodemographic characteristics of 84 YIs and 267 YUs. Descriptive statistics were used to determine trends. Results. The surveys were conducted between September 2020 and February 2021. The YIs were predominantly female (87.1%) with mean ± s.d. years of practice of 9.8 ± 0.8 (95% CI: 8.2, 11.4). YUs were most commonly female (86%), of NZ European descent (63%), aged 45–64 years (56%), not married (52.5%), and with a university or higher education qualification (61.5%). They use yoga to alleviate chronic health conditions like back pain (18%), menopausal symptoms (14.5%), anxiety (13.5%) and depression (11.5%). Discussion. Most YIs in NZ are females facilitating moderatesized yoga classes. YUs in NZ are disproportionately NZ European, female, middle-aged and tertiary educated. They use yoga to help manage long-term conditions, including mental ill-health and musculoskeletal disorders. The study findings could inform health professionals regarding the utilisation of yoga in NZ. Further research is required to gain insights into yoga use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ample evidence indicates that a person's human capital is important for success on the labor market in terms of both wages and employment prospects. However, unlike the efforts to identify the impact of school attainment on labor-market outcomes, the literature on returns to cognitive skills has not yet provided convincing evidence that the estimated returns can be causally interpreted. Using the PIAAC Survey of Adult Skills, this paper explores several approaches that aim to address potential threats to causal identification of returns to skills, in terms of both higher wages and better employment chances. We address measurement error by exploiting the fact that PIAAC measures skills in several domains. Furthermore, we estimate instrumental-variable models that use skill variation stemming from school attainment and parental education to circumvent reverse causation. Results show a strikingly similar pattern across the diverse set of countries in our sample. In fact, the instrumental-variable estimates are consistently larger than those found in standard least-squares estimations. The same is true in two "natural experiments," one of which exploits variation in skills from changes in compulsory-schooling laws across U.S. states. The other one identifies technologically induced variation in broadband Internet availability that gives rise to variation in ICT skills across German municipalities. Together, the results suggest that least-squares estimates may provide a lower bound of the true returns to skills in the labor market.

Citizen science, in which volunteers work with professional scientists to conduct research, is expanding due to large online datasets. To plan projects, it is important to understand volunteers' motivations for participating. This paper analyzes results from an online survey of nearly 11000 volunteers in Galaxy Zoo, an astronomy citizen science project. Results show that volunteers' primary motivation is a desire to contribute to scientific research. We encourage other citizen science projects to study the motivations of their volunteers, to see whether and how these results may be generalized to inform the field of citizen science. (Contains 11 tables and 6 figures.)

This paper examines the relationship between birth order and later educational outcomes in a birth cohort of more than 1,000 New Zealand young adults studied to the age of twenty-five. Being later born was associated with gaining fewer educational qualifications at secondary level and beyond. The use of nested models to control for the confounding effects of family size on birth order revealed that birth order effects on educational attainment were not disguised by family size effects. Following adjustment for potentially confounding factors, there remained a statistically significant association between being later born and a lower likelihood of obtaining educational qualifications. It was concluded that the intra-family dynamics initiated by birth order may have a lasting effect on the individual in terms of later educational and achievement outcomes. (Contains 5 tables.)

The ability to reflect and self-assess are essential attributes for graduates to develop during their education. At many tertiary institutions, peer and lecturer-assessment contribute to summative assessment, but selfassessment, whilst recommended for development, does not. In order to make a case for the inclusion of self-assessment as a summative assessment task its reliability needs to be analysed, tested and established. This paper reports a study comparing the alignment of self, peer and lecturer-assessment of 34 pre-service teacher-education students and their lecturer. Students annotated a teaching artefact evidencing their attainment of an Aotearoa New Zealand Graduating Teacher Standard. Peer groups of students and their lecturer also assessed the annotated artefacts using the same collaboratively constructed assessment rubric and feedback sheet. While 59% of self, peer and lecturer-assessments fully aligned, in the remaining 41% many of the participants awarded lower grades to their achievement, indicating less confidence concerning their attainment than their peers and lecturer did. Emerging themes from the annotations of those students whose self-ratings were lower than those of their peers and/or the lecturer indicate a need for further research focussed on the potential influence of self-efficacy and cultural responsiveness on the reliability of self-assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stroke survivors might perceive their quality of life (QoL) as being affected even years after onset. The purpose of this review was to go through the literature to identify factors related to QoL for persons with stroke in China and Western countries for possible similarities and differences in their respective cultural views. Method: A narrative literature review was conducted on the papers identified by searching PubMed, EBSCO/CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Data that published up to November 2016. Factors predicting QoL after stroke were extracted, and comparisons were made between Chinese and Western studies respecting cultural aspects. Results: A total of 43 articles were included in this review, with 31 conducted in Western countries and 12 in China. Predictors of QoL included Demographic factors: age, gender, marital status, education level, socioeconomic status; Clinically related factors: severity of stroke, physical function, depression/anxiety, cognitive impairment, incontinence and other comorbidities; Environmental factors: residential status, social support, social participation; and Individual factors: coping strategies and self‐perception. Being married and resident at home might be associated with the perception of QoL differently between Chinese and Western survivors. Conclusions: Most predictors of QoL in stroke survivors were the same in China and the Western countries. However, their QoL might be predicted differently regarding to the individualistic and collectivistic cultural differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Play is the context for acquiring social skills. While it is logical to suspect that the difficulties associated with ADHD would affect play, there is surprisingly little work in that area. Further, there is almost no previous research describing the playmates of children with ADHD. This study involved children with ADHD ( n = 112) playing with a usual playmate ( n = 112), and pairs of age-, ethnicity-, and sex-matched children ( n = 126) playing together. In this paper, the authors interpret the data from the perspective of the playmates. The overall finding was that the play behavior of the playmates closely resembled that of the children with ADHD; it was characterized by low levels of empathy. A primary purpose of this paper is to explore possible explanations for this surprising finding. Two possible explanations are explored. First, children with ADHD are demanding playmates so that children who play with them mirror their negative behaviors. Second, although the playmates did not have ADHD, their play behaviors might reflect the known risk of negative behaviors reported amongst siblings and peers of children with ADHD. Evidence to support both explanations is presented and new lines of research are proposed to examine each possibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family members continue to be used as interpreters in medical consultations despite the well-known risks. This paper examines participant perceptions of this practice in three New Zealand clinics chosen for their frequent use of interpreters and their skill in using them. It is based on a detailed study of 17 video-recorded interpreted consultations and 48 post-consultation interviews with participants (5 doctors, 16 patients and 12 interpreters, including 6 family members). All participants expressed satisfaction with the communication. Analysis of the interviews explored what participants liked or valued about family member interpreters (FMIs). Key themes were the FMIs' personal relationship and knowledge, patient comfort, trust, cultural norms, time efficiency and continued help outside the consultation. General practitioners (GPs) expressed awareness of potential risks and how to manage them, in contrast to patients and FMIs. Although the use of professional interpreters needs to be strongly promoted, a well-informed decision to use a family member is appropriate in some situations. GPs need to be well trained in how to assess and manage the risks. Rather than striving for 'best practice' (i.e. universal use of professional interpreters), it is better to aim for 'good practice' where a considered judgement is made about each situation on an individual basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, populations are ageing and consequently so are the consumer profiles for most organisations. Understanding how best to ensure satisfaction in interactions with older customers, patients, members of organisations, and so on is therefore increasingly important. This paper examines two research questions: (a) How satisfied or dissatisfied are older people with their customer service experience, and what are the factors associated with dissatisfaction? and (b) What prompts older people to want to change service providers? The research questions are addressed using a mixed-methods approach – quantitative analysis of observation logs, supported by illustrative quotes from focus groups. We find that on the whole older people are generally satisfied with their interactions with organisations, although a substantial minority of interactions lead to dissatisfaction or lower-than-expected satisfaction. Dissatisfaction with interactions is mostly associated with impersonal communications, including interactions that are not conducted face to face, and those that are one-off interactions rather than repeated interactions. Media and communications firms prompted the greatest levels of dissatisfaction among older consumers. Dissatisfied older consumers from our sample are more than 12 times more likely to report an intention to switch providers than satisfied consumers. This highlights the potential costs to organisations of poor customer interactions with older people. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: Despite low patient numbers, rural emergency departments have a similar diversity of case presentations as urban tertiary hospitals, with the need to manage high‐acuity cases with limited resources. There are no consistent descriptions of the resources available to rural emergency departments internationally, limiting the capacity to compare clinical protocols and standards of care across similarly resourced units. This review aimed to describe the range of human, physical and specialist resources described in rural emergency departments in developed countries and propose a typology for use internationally. Design and setting: A systematic literature search was performed for journal articles between 2000 and 2019 describing the staffing, access to radiology and laboratory investigations, and hospital inpatient specialists. Results: Considerable diversity in defining rurality and in resource access was found within and between Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA. Discussion: A typology was developed to account for (a) emergency department staff on‐floor, (b) emergency department staff on‐call, (c) physical resources and (d) access to a specialist surgical service. This provides a valuable tool for relevant stakeholders to effectively communicate rural emergency department resources within a country and internationally. Conclusion: The proposed five‐tiered typology draws together international literature regarding rural emergency department services. Although further research is required to test this tool, the formation of this common language allows a base for effective communication between governments, training providers and policy‐makers who are seeking to improve health systems and health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To investigate the impact of workplace factors on burnout in New Zealand registered nurses (RNs). Background: Nursing is characterised by chronic workplace stress. Research examining the role of workplace factors (ie practice environment and bullying) in shaping burnout is scarce. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 480 New Zealand RNs. Burnout was self-reported using the CBI, while practice environment and negative acts in the workplace were selfreported using PES-NWI, and NAQ-R respectively. The STROBE checklist was used for this paper. Results: For every point increase in PES-NWI, there was a decrease of 6.82, 12.62, and 9.86 points in personal burnout (PB), work-related burnout (WRB), and client-related burnout (CRB) respectively after controlling for demographic and job-related characteristics. For every point increase in NAQ-R, there was an increase of 0.47, 0.50, and 0.20 points in PB, WRB, and CRB respectively after controlling for sample characteristics. These two factors explained for 18.4 percent, 27.6 percent and 12.4 percent of the variation in PB, WRB and CRB respectively. The prevalence of high PB, WRB and CRB was 50.8 percent, 46.5 percent and 16.0 percent respectively. Conclusion: Workplace factors are associated with burnout in RNs. Health-care organisations and nurse leaders have a duty to provide safe and healthy workplaces that cultivate positive outcomes for nurses and patients. Future efforts to reduce workplace stress and burnout in nurses will need to include initiatives that reduce high workloads, provide greater job flexibility and autonomy, increase collaboration and reduce bullying and harassment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in New Zealand (NZ) the number of people requiring pre-dialysis care is increasing. Pre-dialysis nurses play a central role in the delivery of this care. This paper describes and discusses what pre-dialysis nurses perceive to be key influences on effective pre-dialysis nursing care in NZ. It is based on findings from a wider qualitative study that interviewed the majority of NZ pre-dialysis nurses. Following inductive data analysis four main influences were identified. They were: having time from referral to commencement of renal replacement therapy (RRT) to provide adequate education and support; having good access to cultural and other supports and an understanding of differing cultural views of health; the importance of good inter-professional relationships; and support from nursing management and doctors to advance professionally. With the knowledge of the projected increase in patients with CKD, we argue that it is important to ensure the positive aspects of these influences are enhanced in order to ensure effective pre-dialysis nursing care, nurse satisfaction and professional advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

gilmour j.a., huntington a., broadbent r., strong a. & hawkins m. (2012) Nurses' use of online health information in medical wards. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(6), 1349-1358. Abstract Aim. This paper is a report of a study of nurses' access, use and evaluation of online health information in medical wards. Background. Online health information is commonly used by patients with chronic illness to support their education needs. Nurses have a critical role in assisting patients to access and use this information. Method. This descriptive cross-sectional survey of a random sample of 540 nurses employed in medical wards was carried out in 2009. The response rate was 58·7% (293). The analytical approach included descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests of correlation and differences between groups. A content analysis was performed on the qualitative data. Results. Most respondents (78·6%) were satisfied with work Internet access and 58·2% believed that the use of online information improved care delivery. Nearly half the group was aware of patient misconceptions about their illness due to incorrect interpretations of online information, but only 24·4% checked if patients used online information. There was a significant association between assessing patients use and awareness of patient misconceptions. Conclusion. The findings of this study highlight that while online resources add to education opportunities, the ongoing nursing assessment required to determine online information needs is not always incorporated into nursing practice. Patient misunderstandings of online material were also identified; developing patient competency in evaluating open access health information should now be recognized as an integral aspect of illness management education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A wide inequality in incidence and severity of childhood oral health conditions between Pasifika and non‐Pasifika in Aotearoa/New Zealand (Aotearoa/NZ) persists with some evidence that the gap is widening. To develop an evidence base for strengths‐based solutions, this study seeks to investigate the association between parental education and detected oral health conditions in Pasifika children. Method: A secondary cross‐sectional analysis of linked routinely collected national databases of children (Pasifika and Non‐Māori non‐Pasifika [NMNP]) aged 0–9 years in 2013 who completed a Before School Check (B4SC) and had their birth parents file a 2013 New Zealand census return. Parental education is represented by their self‐reported highest qualification level gained. Logistic regression models were employed to investigate childhood caries and hospitalisations related to oral health conditions after adjusting for social and economic factors. Results: During the five‐year period of 2013–2017, 21 744 (10.2%) children (Pasifika and NMNP) completed the B4SC and experienced caries. Pasifika children experienced caries three times more than NMNP children (23.6% and 7.9%, respectively) and 1.8 times more dental hospitalisations (6.0% and 3.4%, respectively). Each additional level of parental education reduced their Pasifika child's odds of experiencing caries (unadjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.82–0.85) and dental hospitalization (unadjusted OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.87–0.91). Less than half of the reduced odds for parental education could be attributed to other covariate factors, by 43% and 25%; respectively, for caries and hospitalisations. Conclusions: Our findings show good educational achievement is associated with better oral health for offspring beyond other benefits that can be attributed to non‐education influences. Increased education for Pasifika parents is likely to directly confer better oral health for their children. The findings from this study may provide meaningful evidence for future developments in Pasifika education policy as an investment into the health of subsequent generations of Pasifika children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the portrayal of rural health inequities in Aotearoa New Zealand and the problematic framing of rural populations and health systems. Topics include the impact of rural health disparities on mortality and education, the influence of media and research in shaping rural deficit narratives, and the concept of "metro-normativity" and its role in marginalizing rural communities through urban-centric assumptions.

Background: Linking self-reported data collected from longitudinal studies with administrative health records is timely and cost-effective, provides the opportunity to augment information contained in each and can offset some of the limitations of both data sources. The aim of this study was to compare maternal-reported child injury data with administrative injury records and assess the level of agreement. Methods: A deterministic linkage was undertaken to link injury-related data from the Growing up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) study to routinely collected injury records from New Zealand's Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) for preschool children. The analyses compared: (i) the characteristics of mothers with linked data vs. those without, (ii) injury incidences from maternal recall with those recorded in ACC injury claims, and (iii) the demographic characteristics of concordant and discordant injury reports, including the validity and reliability of injury records from both data sources. Results: Of all mothers who responded to the injury questions in the GUiNZ study (n = 5836), more than 95% (n = 5637) agreed to have their child's record linked to routine administrative health records. The overall discordance in injury reports showed an increasing trend as children grew older (9% at 9 M to 29% at 54 M). The mothers of children with discordance between maternal injury reports and ACC records were more likely to be younger, of Pacific ethnicity, with lower educational attainment, and live in areas of high deprivation (p < 0.001). The level of agreement between maternal injury recall and ACC injury record decreased (κ = 0.83 to κ = 0.42) as the cohort moved through their preschool years. Conclusions: In general, the findings of this study identified that there was underreporting and discordance of the maternal injury recall, which varied by the demographic characteristics of mothers and their child's age. Therefore, linking the routinely gathered injury data with maternal self-report child injury data has the potential to augment longitudinal birth cohort study data to investigate risk or protective factors associated with childhood injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A high proportion of unwanted or unplanned pregnancies may be alcohol-exposed due to contraception failure or non-use. Nevertheless, data on contraception and alcohol use in the context of the risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancies are sparse. Objectives: To describe contraception use and alcohol consumption in sexually active non-pregnant women and investigate the factors associated with less effective contraception methods. Study Design: A cross-sectional national survey of women aged 18–35 years. Methods: Data from non-pregnant women who were sexually active (n = 517) were analysed. Descriptive statistics were used to report demographics, consumption, and contraception measures. Logistic regression was used to investigate the factors associated with less effective contraception among drinkers. Results: The majority of participants were younger (46%), of NZ European ethnicity (78%), not in a permanent relationship (54%), with some or completed tertiary education (79%), employed (81%) and not users of the community services card (82%). Twenty-five percent of women were smokers, 94% consumed alcohol, and 72% binged at least 'monthly or less'. Most women used the pill (56%), and 20% of drinking women were using a contraception method with a 10% or more annual failure rate after 1 year of use. Women who binged 'weekly or more often' had similar odds of using less effective contraception as women who 'never' binged (p > 0.05). Younger Māori or Pacific women (odds ratio = 5.99; 95% confidence interval of odds 1.15 – 31.2; p = 0.033) and women who had no tertiary education (odds ratio = 1.75; 95% confidence interval of odds 0.00 – 3.06; p = 0.052) had higher odds of using less effective contraception. Conclusion: With 20% of women at risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy, public health measures to address alcohol consumption and the effective use of contraception are critical to reducing the risk for alcohol-exposed pregnancies in NZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) describes products/practices outside conventional medical care. CAM may be used to support or replace conventional/prescribed therapies. The aim of this study was to determine patterns of CAM use among children attending a tertiary care hospital in New Zealand (NZ) and measure parental opinion about CAM. Methods: Prospective survey-based study among children and their parents attending inpatient and outpatient clinical areas. Surveys collected demographic and health variables, current CAM use, and parental opinions on CAM. Results: Of the 236 children participating: 41% female, mean age 6.8 years (SD5), 76 (32%) with a chronic illness. CAM was used by 132 (56%) children, the most common being: oral supplements, body manipulation methods, or holistic practices. CAM use was associated with lower child health rating (p = 0.001), Māori ethnicity (p = 0.03), parent education level (p = 0.002), and family member CAM use (p < 0.001). Opinion survey results revealed CAM use was most strongly related to doctors recommending CAM, information on CAM, and CAM cost. There was a 31% CAM disclosure rate to the child's medical team. Conclusions: This study highlights cultural differences in CAM use not previously reported among children in NZ. Parental opinion regarding CAM influences use for their child and disclosure rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored whether changes in risk and protective factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) can account for the noted reduction in 12-month IPV prevalence in New Zealand between 2003 and 2019. Changes in relational mobility over time were also explored. Data from two population-based surveys of 18-64 year-old ever-partnered women in New Zealand that were conducted according to identical procedures in 2003 (n=2764) and 2019 (n=944) were used. Changes in a variety of potential risk and protective factors over time and their possible contribution to IPV reduction were assessed. The findings indicated that there was no change in the prevalence of the strongest risk and protective factors of IPV victimisation and perpetration over time (e.g. partner concurrent relationship, previous exposure to violence for both respondent and partner, and partner's problematic alcohol/drug use). However, a combination of factors including decline in women's problematic alcohol or drug use, decline in the number of children within families, and increases in the proportion of women and partners with a qualification higher than secondary education are likely to be associated with the reduction in IPV prevalence. A greater degree of relational mobility, demonstrated through a greater proportion of women who left their abusive partner permanently and increased numbers of relationships that women had, was also observed between two study years. Overall, these results indicate that changes in 12-month IPV prevalence over time are likely to be linked with changes that increase women's autonomy and ability to move out of violent relationships. To achieve sustained reductions in IPV, more comprehensive and planned efforts are needed to address other underlying and exacerbating causes, including problematic alcohol/drug use and previous exposure to violence during childhood and adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The time that children spend in physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep each day (i.e., 24-h time-use behaviours), is related to physical and mental health outcomes. Currently, there is no comprehensive evidence on New Zealand school-aged children's 24-h time-use behaviours, adherence to the New Zealand 24-h Movement Guidelines, and how these vary among different sociodemographic groups. Methods: This study utilises data from the 8-year wave of the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study. Using two Axivity AX3 accelerometers, children's 24-h time-use behaviours were described from two perspectives: activity intensity and activity type. Compositional data analysis techniques were used to explore the differences in 24-h time-use compositions across various sociodemographic groups. Results: Children spent on average, 31.1%, 22.3%, 6.8%, and 39.8% of their time in sedentary, light physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and sleep, respectively. However, the daily distribution of time in different activity types was 33.2% sitting, 10.8% standing, 7.3% walking, 0.4% running, and 48.2% lying. Both the activity intensity and activity type compositions varied across groups of child ethnicity, gender, and household income or deprivation. The proportion of children meeting each of the guidelines was 90% for physical activity, 62.5% for sleep, 16% for screen time, and 10.6% for the combined guidelines. Both gender and residence location (i.e., urban vs. rural) were associated with meeting the physical activity guideline, whereas child ethnicity, mother's education and residence location were associated with meeting the screen time guideline. Child ethnicity and mother's education were also significantly associated with the adherence to the combined 24-h Movement Guidelines. Conclusions: This study provided comprehensive evidence on how New Zealand children engage in 24-h time-use behaviours, adherence to the New Zealand 24-h Movement Guidelines, and how these behaviours differ across key sociodemographic groups. These findings should be considered in designing future interventions for promoting healthy time-use patterns in New Zealand children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Social engagement is an important active aging strategy to promote older adults' mental health. The purposes of this study were to compare social engagement in older populations around the world and explore associations with mental health outcomes. Materials and methods: An international cross‐sectional survey was conducted from 2017 to 2019. Data were retrieved from The International Social Survey Programme for a secondary data analysis across 30 countries. This study applied the Taxonomy of Social Activities and its six levels as operational definitions for a consistent concept of social engagement for international comparisons. Results: In total, 9403 older adults with a mean age of 72.85 ± 6.40 years responded. The highest levels of older adults' social engagement were found in Switzerland, Thailand, and New Zealand. Older adults of a higher age, with a lower educational level, who were permanently sick or disabled, who had no partner, who were widowed or whose civil partner had died, who lived alone, and who had lower self‐placement in society had significantly lower social engagement than did their counterparts. In the regression model, older adults' social engagement positively predicted general health, self‐accomplishment, and life satisfaction, but negatively predicted loneliness and depression. Conclusions: In aging societies worldwide, encouraging older adults' social engagement would be beneficial to promote mental health. Implications for nursing practice and health policies: Community professional nurses can develop strategies of social engagement based on the needs and sociodemographic factors of older adults to improve their mental health. Developing efficient strategies and local policies by learning from successful experiences in other countries is important to promote social engagement in aging societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The study aimed to collect and compare practising characteristics for dental hygienists (DHs) in New Zealand (NZ) and Sweden. Methods: Dental hygienists from NZ and Sweden were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey focussing on their working practices. An email, with a link to the online survey and a participant information sheet, was sent to DHs registered with their professional association in their respective country. Frequency analyses and cross‐tabulations were conducted using chi‐square and Fisher's exact tests to investigate possible statistical associations to allow for comparisons between the countries. Results: DH is a female‐dominated workforce with equal distribution of gender in both countries. The majority of DHs in NZ worked in private practice while Swedish DHs mostly worked in the public sector. NZ participants were younger and with a more recent qualification than their Swedish counterparts. The highest degree of education was a PhD for DHs working in Sweden, compared with a master's degree for NZ participants. The majority of participants from both countries treated patients 65 years of age or older, with the most common medical conditions being cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. The most common dental condition observed/treated was periodontal disease. Over 60% agreed to have an understanding of information technology (IT). The most used technical equipment was digital radiology, followed by other diagnostic tools. Conclusion: Findings confirm previous international data on demographical uptake for the DH workforce in NZ and Sweden. A coherence was seen in patient characteristics, DHs' attitudes towards information technology and use of technical equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from a nationally generalisable birth cohort, we aimed to: (i) describe the cohort's adherence to national evidence-based dietary guidelines using an Infant Feeding Index (IFI) and (ii) assess the IFI's convergent construct validity, by exploring associations with antenatal maternal socio-demographic and health behaviours and with child overweight/obesity and central adiposity at age 54 months. Data were from the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort (n 6343). The IFI scores ranged from zero to twelve points, with twelve representing full adherence to the guidelines. Overweight/obesity was defined by BMI-for-age (based on the WHO Growth Standards). Central adiposity was defined as waist-to-height ratio > 90th percentile. Associations were tested using multiple linear regression and Poisson regression with robust variance (risk ratios, 95 % CI). Mean IFI score was 8·2 (sd 2·1). Maternal characteristics explained 29·1 % of variation in the IFI score. Maternal age, education and smoking had the strongest independent relationships with IFI scores. Compared with children in the highest IFI tertile, girls in the lowest and middle tertiles were more likely to be overweight/obese (1·46, 1·03, 2·06 and 1·56, 1·09, 2·23, respectively) and boys in the lowest tertile were more likely to have central adiposity (1·53, 1·02, 2·30) at age 54 months. Most infants fell short of meeting national Infant Feeding Guidelines. The associations between IFI score and maternal characteristics, and children's overweight/obesity/central adiposity, were in the expected directions and confirm the IFI's convergent construct validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding employability for Māori, the Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), is an under researched area. The dominant Western culture, structures and practices in university and industries within NZ have obscured Māori presence and limited Māori student's expression of their own cultural identity. The current employment environment in NZ is starting to appreciate and recognize the contribution of Māori values and principles in the workplace. The demand for Maori employees competent in tikanga (Māori protocols) and Te Reo (Māori language, one of three official languages of NZ) is on the rise. We highlight the need to explore ways to change Higher Education and work-integrated learning (WIL) to better enable and encourage students to explore their cultural identity and add value into the workplace by bringing their 'whole selves' and their 'superpower'. This study adopted a case study methodology to examine employability from a Māori perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lifecourse approaches to healthy ageing recognise that health in older age is affected by long-term cumulative inequalities between socio-economic status (SES), gender and ethnicity groups, which begin in childhood. Combining longitudinal survey data with lifecourse history interviews from 729 older New Zealanders aged 61–81 (mean = 72, standard deviation = 4.5), we tested a lifecourse model of predictors of physical, mental and social health in older age. Latent growth curve and mediation analysis showed that the link between childhood SES and late-life health (over 10 years) was mediated by education, occupation and adult wealth. To account for the moderating effects of gender and ethnicity, we modelled the effects for sub-groups separately (225 non-Māori women, 158 Māori women, 219 non-Māori men and 127 Māori men). Childhood SES was an important predictor of later-life health, mediated by education and adult SES for all participants and for non-Māori men. However, there were significantly different pathways for Māori men and for women. Māori men and women and non-Māori women did not attain the same health benefits from higher childhood SES and education as non-Māori men. Findings point to the importance of considering the mediators of lifelong impacts on health in older age, and recognition of how membership of different socially structured groups produces different pathways to late-life health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread social problem affecting all populations regardless of gender, race, and socioeconomic status. The aims of this study were to examine (a) patterns of IPV among Pacific women living in New Zealand and (b) the risk and protective factors associated with IPV perpetration and victimization. As part of the longitudinal Pacific Islands Families (PIF) Study, maternal interviews, which included reports about IPV, acculturation, and sociodemographic characteristics, were administered at phases 6 weeks, 2, 6, 11, and 14 years postpartum. Age had a significant effect on perpetration of both minor and severe perpetration of IPV, and on being a victim of minor IPV. However, no significant effect was found for severe victimization. Cultural alignment also had a significant effect on perpetration of IPV with Pacific mothers who were strongly aligned to their traditional Pacific culture being significantly less likely to report minor or severe IPV perpetration compared with Pacific mothers who were closely aligned to western culture. Single mothers reported significantly more minor victimization, and those mothers who were more highly educated and were in a higher income bracket were significantly less likely to report severe physical IPV victimization. These findings can inform the timing and targeting of culturally appropriate violence prevention efforts in adolescence and young adulthood that focus on the development of healthy intimate partner relationships and effective methods of conflict resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]