Health – Views & Research – The Conversation

A bowl of chips, with more being filled up

How unhealthy ultra-processed foods are designed and marketed to make us crave them

Kelly Garton, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau and Boyd Swinburn, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Nurses with higher cultural competence don’t always perform better – new study

Emmy van Esch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Hanoku Bathula, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Laszlo Sajtos, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

A nurse's hands holding those of a patient

Recent outbreaks highlight the risks of bacterial meningitis – and the need to vaccinate

Una Ren, New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science; Nigel French, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University, and Sarah Hannah, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

Students and staff queue to receive antibiotics at the UK University of Kent

NZ’s rejection of new WHO pandemic rules makes no real sense

Sharon McLennan, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

The World Health Organization symbol mounted on a glass wall

Public health providers have to obey strict cyber security rules – so should private contractors

Gehan Gunasekara, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Ian Welch, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Lisa Patterson, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

A person in front of several computer screens

The price of meth has been plunging in NZ. Are Mexican cartels driving the drop?

Chris Wilkins, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University; Marta Rychert, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University, and Robin van der Sanden, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

Two young children, with one wearing a head scarf, suggesting cancer treatment

Hospital audit finds siblings of children with serious conditions are overlooked, lack support

Julie Blamires, Auckland University of Technology

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Bacterial meningitis is deadly, but can also have life-altering long-term effects – new study

Octavia Calder-Dawe, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Kate Smith, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Staff and students queue to receive antibiotics at the University of Kent, UK, after two people died in an outbreak of bacterial meningitis

Child protection workers are under pressure in NZ. Can predictive modelling help?

Dylan A Mordaunt, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Flinders University; The University of Melbourne

In the next pandemic, NZ doesn’t need to choose between health and the economy

Paula Lorgelly, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Shifting more healthcare to the private sector calls for a clear government plan – where is it?

Robin Gauld, Bond University

Doctors walking down a hospital corridor

A person walking along a supermarket aisle

NZ imports of unhealthy ultra-processed foods have risen sharply since 1990 – new study

Kelly Garton, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

COVID inquiry phase two: 4 main lessons to improve NZ’s future pandemic resilience

David Murdoch, University of Otago

A worker conducts a temperature check at the entrance of a construction site during the COVID pandemic.

NZ’s 9th COVID-19 wave: why infections are rising – and how booster shots still help

Michael Plank, University of Canterbury and Helen Petousis-Harris, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

We studied primary care in 6 rich countries – it’s under unprecedented strain everywhere

Felicity Goodyear-Smith, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Severe irritability in teens can be reduced by daily doses of vitamins and minerals – new research

Julia J Rucklidge, University of Canterbury; Angela Sherwin, University of Canterbury; Joseph Boden, University of Otago, and Roger Mulder, University of Otago

A closeup of a fruit and vegetable aisle in a supermarket