School of Public Health and Interdisciplinary Studies

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The School of Public Health and Interdisciplinary Studies research institutes and centres play an important role in specialist teaching and research conducted by academic staff and postgraduate students. This places AUT students at the forefront of much of the ground-breaking research undertaken in New Zealand in the field of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Psychology, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Public Health.

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 358
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    The Acute Effect of Heart Rate Monitor Projection on Exercise Effort in School Students
    (SAGE Publications, 2024-10-07) Cunningham-Rose, Rebecca; Garrett, Nick; Lonsdale, Chris; Harris, Nigel
    Heart rate (HR) monitoring during exercise represents a potentially useful strategy for teachers delivering physical education lessons. This study examined how projecting HR monitor data onto a screen acutely affected school students’ exercise intensity during a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session. Twenty students (12.3 ± 0.9 years, male = 8, female = 12) from one primary school volunteered to participate. Using a randomised crossover design within a 4-week period, participants completed four sessions of HIIT with HR projection and four sessions of HIIT with no ability to view HR. During the HR projection condition all participants viewed their HR on a class screen in real-time, with a changing colour according to HR level. Target intensity was 90% of age-predicted maximum HR. Peak HR and time above 90% HR (RED) were collected in all sessions. Student focus groups and teacher interviews were conducted to gain perceptions around the effects of the projection. Peak HR (p = 0.005, η2 effect size = 0.049) and RED (p = 0.000, η2 effect size = 0.083) were significantly greater during the projected condition. Qualitative data indicated that projection improved student motivation to reach the target, and ignited competition amongst peers to work harder. Projecting HR data onto a screen can increase the acute exercise intensity of school students during HIIT. HR projection therefore represents a useful strategy for the delivery of exercise sessions with an emphasis on intensity, within physical education classes.
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    Victim-Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence Who Are Forced to Participate in Crimes: Are They Treated Fairly in the Criminal Law?
    (LexisNexis, 2024-03-01) Smith, Rachel; Tolmie, Julia; Calderwood Norton, Jane; Wilson, Denise
    Research suggests that a portion of female offenders in Aotearoa New Zealand offend in response to intimate partner violence (IPV) victimisation. It is therefore critical to consider whether coercion because of IPV is adequately accommodated in the criminal justice response to such offending. In this article we examine the law on party liability and the defences of compulsion and duress of circumstances. We suggest that these defences are currently not capable of adequately recognising the coercive circumstances that can result in women offending or being held accountable for their violent male partner’s offending by means of the expansive doctrine of party liability. The current law therefore requires urgent reform.
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    Exploring Interconnectedness Through Found Objects and Local Waste: A Cross-Cultural Investigation
    (Southern Institute of Technology | Te Pūkenga, 2023) Smith, James; Rachev, Rumen; Ben-Dror, Adam; Berthelsen, Chris; Zhang, Linda; Fu, Wins
    This study draws inspiration from community development approaches that emphasise the establishment of global networks to facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge, tailored to regional contexts, needs, and cultures. Within this framework, the present research unveils a live, improvisational telepresence art performance centred around the reutilisation of discarded materials and do-it-yourself (DIY) methodologies. By creating "portals" that bridge the locales of Waihōpai Invercargill, Southland, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, and Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China, the investigation leverages cost-effective mobile technology and the creative repurposing of waste materials. The primary aim is to explore the potential of real-time play practices and intercultural engagements in engendering a captivating sense of shared and distinctive 'place' that transcends geographical boundaries. This endeavour seeks to amplify international connections and exchanges, inherent in such interactions. As attendees of the OPSITARA Research Symposium 2023, we extend a cordial invitation for your participation in this interactive art encounter. Collectively, we aspire to nurture the spirit of playfulness, placemaking, and waste repurposing across international borders, all in real time. The collaborative initiative unfolds within the symposium's designated lobby, fostering synergies with artists hailing from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Shaoxing, China. Through the amalgamation of rudimentary mobile technology and inventive use of found materials, we endeavour to weave immersive experiences, interlocking cross-cultural narratives, knowledge dissemination, and environmental consciousness. By dynamically transforming discarded materials into art forms, each lens of cultural perspective contributes to transcending the confines of urban spaces, thereby cultivating imaginative bonds with place and space. In tandem, the study delves into the intricate interplay of divergent interpretations of play, placemaking, and the innovative repurposing of waste, mutually enriching the sustainability and holistic enjoyment of diverse locations.
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    Bridging Gaps Between Disaster Risk Reduction and Drowning Prevention
    (Elsevier BV, 2024-04-02) Le Dé, Loïc
    Drowning is a form of silent and neglected disaster. Hundreds of thousands die every year from drowning, with cumulated fatalities surpassing that of large-scale disasters. However, research on drowning is largely absent from disaster studies and global and national disaster risk reduction policy frameworks rarely mention drowning risk and the related strategies for strengthening water safety. Drowning is mainly framed as a public health issue being studied predominantly by scholars from injury prevention, public health, and medicine. This paper argues that both disaster studies and disaster risk reduction policies have a critical role to play in progressing drowning prevention. It reviews the existing drowning literature and highlights trends, challenges, and opportunities to bridge gaps in knowledge, policy, and practice for reducing drowning risk. The article highlights the strong conceptual underpinnings that characterize both the disaster risk and drowning fields, the need for data sharing, the potential for community-approaches to drowning risk reduction, and ultimately recommends a more systematic integration of drowning in disaster risk reduction initiatives. The paper ends by underlining some of the barriers and requirements to foster collaboration between the disaster risk domains and drowning prevention.
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    An Indigenous-Led Buprenorphine-Naloxone Treatment Program to Address Opioid Use in Remote Northern Canada
    (Elsevier BV, 2024-09-01) Zuk, Aleksandra M; Ahmed, Fatima; Charania, Nadia; Sutherland, Celine; Kataquapit, Gisele; Moriarity, Robert J; Spence, Nicholas D; Tsuji, Leonard JS; Liberda, Eric N
    Background/purpose In response to the opioid use challenges exacerbated from the COVID-19 pandemic, Fort Albany First Nation (FAFN), a remote Cree First Nation community situated in subarctic Ontario, Canada, implemented a buprenorphine-naloxone program. The newly initiated program was collaboratively developed by First Nations' nurses and community leaders, driven by the community's strengths, resilience, and forward-thinking approach. Using the First Nations Information Governance Centre strengths-based model, this article examines discussions with four community leaders to identify key strengths and challenges that emerged during the implementation of this program. Methods this qualitative study amplify the positive aspects and community strengths through the power of oral narratives. We conducted 20 semi-structured face-to-face interviews with community members who helped lead FAFN's COVID-19 pandemic response. Utilizing the Medicine Wheel framework, this work introduces a holistic model for the buprenorphine-naloxone program that addresses the cognitive, physical, spiritual, and emotional dimensions of well-being. Results Recommendations to support this initiative included the need for culturally competent staff, customized education programs, and the expanding of the program. Additionally, there is a pressing need for increased funding to support these initiatives effectively and sustainably. The development of this program, despite challenges, underscores the vital role of community leadership and cultural sensitivity to address the opioid crisis in a positive and culturally safe manner. Conclusion The study highlights the successes of the buprenorphine-naloxone program, which was developed in response to the needs arising from the pandemic, specifically addressing community members suffering from opioid addiction. The timely funding for this program came as the urgent needs of community members became apparent due to pandemic lockdowns and isolation. Holistic care, including mental health services and fostering community relations, is important. By centering conversations on community strengths and advocating for culturally sensitive mental health strategies that nurture well-being, resilience, and empowerment, these findings can be adapted and expanded to support other Indigenous communities contending with opioid addiction.
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