Four academics awarded Health Research Council funding to further research

Health Delivery Research funding supports established or prospective researchers and/or research providers to establish research evidence needs or research opportunities, or develop research capacity, before applying for further health delivery funding. These grants are designed to incentivise readying and planning for research where resourcing to get started is not otherwise available.

Massey’s successful candidates

Research Activation Grants

Dr Maria Casale - Weight stigma and bias in healthcare in Aotearoa: The Pacific people’s voice

Bias against individuals with a higher weight remains socially acceptable and is rarely challenged, even in healthcare settings. This compounds ethnicity and gender discrimination prevails despite being unlawful in Aotearoa New Zealand workplaces.

There is increasing recognition of how weight stigma and bias profoundly impacts people, with a systematic review showing a positive association with increased diabetes risk, inflammatory markers, anxiety, depression and disordered eating. Weight bias amongst healthcare professionals also impacts the quality of healthcare provided to higher weight individuals. Prevalence of high body weight amongst Pacific women puts them at particular risk of harm from these intersecting biases.

This study will investigate the extent and impact of weight bias and stigma experienced by Pacific women to inform the design of further research investigating novel weight-neutral approaches to healthcare delivery. This research is needed to help address systemic and persistent health inequities faced by Pacific people.

Dr Maria Casale says, “This research will give a voice to Pacific women navigating the healthcare system in Aotearoa, highlighting not just how weight bias and stigma impacts them, but what suggestions they have for how this should be addressed.”

Dr Hayley Denison - Relationships and sexuality education in Aotearoa New Zealand

Relationships and sexuality education (RSE) equips children and young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that help them to protect the health and rights of themselves and others. While relationships and sexuality education has been well-researched in other countries, it is an under-explored area in New Zealand. It is critical that an assessment of RSE is conducted that considers effectiveness for all ethnic groups, so that recommendations can be made to reduce inequities.

This project will develop the professional relationships and knowledge to carry out such a study. It will involve organising hui with key researchers and stakeholders, as well as a literature review to synthesise and understand New Zealand and international research. These steps are critical in designing a successful project to evaluate the effectiveness and equity of relationships and sexuality education in New Zealand.

Dr Denison says she is thrilled to receive this grant.

“It provides me a unique opportunity to gather critical information about the current state of research, understand existing findings and pinpoint key research priorities. This grant will lay the foundation for the creation of evidence-based interventions that ensure that all communities, especially Māori and other underserved populations, benefit from comprehensive and effective sexual health education.”

Dr Amanda Eng - Exposure and health of workers on the Accelerated Silicosis Assessment Pathway

Since the introduction of engineered stone as a popular material for benchtops, accelerated silicosis cases among engineered stone workers have been reported overseas. In New Zealand, the Accelerated Silicosis Assessment Pathway was implemented in 2020 using the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)’s claim management system. Claims are lodged based on the risk of exposure rather than injury and entry onto the pathway is through a voluntary visit to a General Practitioner.

A review of the data in New Zealand found that solutions are required to make better use of the data held in the pathway. In particular, comprehensive exposure and health questionnaires are collected by ACC but currently only used to assess claims for cover. Activity one will determine how the exposure and health information can be extracted from ACC for all lodged claims, which, along with engaging with key stakeholders (activity two), will provide evidence for better health screening and follow-up of exposed workers.

Dr Eng says, “This grant will contribute to a better understanding of the exposure circumstances and health of workers in New Zealand potentially at risk of engineered stone-associated silicosis. The grant activities will also enable us to work towards a better solution for occupational health screening and service delivery more generally.”

Dr Noha Ahmed Nasef - Assessing the utility of measuring mesentric adipose tissue in Crohn's disease

Belly fat is reported to have an important role in Crohn's disease progression. This makes belly fat a potential therapeutic target that can be influenced by the external environment including the gut microbiota and diet.

This study will validate the use of imaging as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for measuring inflamed belly fat in people with Crohn's disease. The imaging tool can be used to assess the effectiveness of different therapies on belly fat to improve outcomes for sufferers of Crohn's disease.

Career Development Award

Dr Noha Ahmed Nasef - Applicability of ulcerative colitis dietary guidelines in New Zealand

Several international dietary guidelines, reviews and studies for ulcerative colitis have been published over the years. However, these guidelines are not easily applied in New Zealand due to limitations of resources in our health sector. Additionally, the dietary advice may not be relevant to New Zealanders due to differences in cultural and social practices and availability of recommended food choices.

This project will develop dietary recommendations for ulcerative colitis that are better aligned with New Zealand healthcare resources, particularly in the smaller or under-resourced regions of New Zealand. Feedback from ulcerative colitis individuals will be collected to better understand their dietary habits in relation to their disease to ensure better uptake of dietary recommendations.