Established in 1869 with great vision and foresight from Dunedin’s early settlers, the University of Otago is New Zealand’s oldest university. Today, the university has around 20,000 students, employs more than 3,800 staff, and is a significant educational, economic and cultural force. It has over 150,000 former students and enjoys a prestigious global reputation for outstanding research and scholarship.
New Zealand’s acute mental health facilities are not fit for purpose. Although many inpatients are grateful for medication, they lament the lack of access to psychologists and therapeutic activities.
Michael Baker, University of Otago; David Welch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Dion O'Neale, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The pre-Christmas period puts New Zealanders at high risk of exposure to COVID. Even at small gatherings of ten people, the probability someone has the virus has increased from 2-3% to about 15%.
Research based on the longitudinal Dunedin Study suggests a history of childhood fractures could predict adult risk. The knowledge could lead to better awareness and prevention strategies.
New Zealand may see more sponge bleaching as the northern coastlines are already experiencing almost continuous marine heatwave conditions, expected to extend into the coming summer.
Inbreeding usually leads to an accumulation of genetic defects, but evolution on a small archipelago may have helped the severely inbred Chatham Island black robin to avoid this fate.
The government has backed away from broad hate speech legislation. But the law can be a blunt instrument, and comedians are still better off regulating themselves.
If we want people with complex care needs to prioritise their health, cutting patient fees, providing flexible hours and paying attention to their social circumstances would be a good start.
On the centenary of insulin’s first use, doctors, researchers and people with diabetes are asking why New Zealand lags other countries in funding the latest devices to monitor blood sugar.
New Zealand law allows people to be detained under a compulsory community treatment order – which they can’t refuse. But research shows compulsory treatment can make some mental health issues worse.
Whether or not they smoke, most young people don’t share the tobacco companies’ view that New Zealand’s new smokefree measures will reduce their autonomy or limit their freedoms.
Despite causing hurt and offence, the legality of removing a whale fossil from the West Coast remains unclear. So what rules and laws govern amateur fossil hunting, and should they be strengthened?
Sports sponsorship is the main way children are exposed to alcohol marketing. It increases their risk of drinking at earlier ages, drinking more once they start and drinking more hazardously.
Darse un atracón de comida y sentir después vergüenza y culpa puede ser patológico. En gran medida invisible, el trastorno alimentario por atracón necesita más investigación para un mejor diagnóstico y tratamiento.
More than 130,000 New Zealanders may suffer from binge eating disorder. Largely invisible, it needs more research to help better diagnosis and treatment.
Claims that introduced deer perform the same ecological function as ancient moa are outdated and wrong. Deer destroy forests, and large-scale culling is still the best solution.
Even if the new smokefree legislation did cause some temporary extra illegal trade in tobacco, the best response would still be better law enforcement and border control.
Historical accounts show the upokororo was once common in rivers across the country. It’s now officially extinct, but is there a chance survivors could still be found in remote waterways?
New Zealand has done better than most countries by taking decisive action at the start of the COVID pandemic. Now is the time to build on this with a science-based strategy to manage the next stages.
A thinning of the retina is associated with earlier ageing of the brain. Widely available retinal imaging could help detect cognitive decline in its earliest stages.