Issue 337 - 5 March 2026

Welcome to the fortnightly Health Improvement and Innovation Digest. The Digest has links to key evidence of interest, with access to new content arranged by topic.

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Article Access

For articles that aren't open access, contact your Health NZ district library, or organisational or local library for assistance in accessing the full text. If your organisation has a subscription, you may be able to use the icon under full text links in PubMed to access the full article.

Health Equity (New Zealand)

Understanding the complexities of recruitment and retention of allied health professionals in rural health settings across Aotearoa: a qualitative study
Rural and remote communities in Aotearoa New Zealand face significant challenges in recruiting and retaining Allied Health Professionals (AHPs). While targeted investment exists to increase the numbers of doctors and nurses entering the rural workforce, comparatively little attention has been given to Allied Health Scientific and Technical professions. This study, published in BMC Health Services Research, aimed to explore what matters to AHPs’ in rural contexts and how these insights could inform recruitment and retention practices.

Child Development Interventions Among Indigenous Peoples in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States: A Scoping Review
Children's development is dependent on a range of factors influencing their life course outcomes. Protective and challenging social and cultural determinants impact how Indigenous families support their children's developmental foundations. However, there is a lack of international evidence investigating Indigenous child development interventions. To gain a perspective across nations with comparable settler-colonial histories, this scoping review, published in Children, summarised studies on family and community-centred approaches among Indigenous populations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, focusing on outcomes and evidence gaps.

Evaluating fifth-year outcomes housing first for women in Aotearoa New Zealand
This paper, published in Discover Public Health, determines the outcomes five years post-housing for women in a Housing First cohort from Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Mental health–related callouts to the ambulance service in Aotearoa New Zealand: a descriptive analysis
This study, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, aimed to determine the association between demographic and clinical characteristics of mental health–related callouts to the ambulance services in Aotearoa New Zealand, focusing on differences among Māori, Pacific peoples and non-Māori non-Pacific peoples.

Nutrition & Physical Activity (New Zealand)

Health benefits of the HIKO e-bike programme: a qualitative study
This paper, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, aims to explore the relationship between e-biking and health in the context of a novel, marae-led e-biking programme for Māori and Pacific adults in a suburban community.

What Works in School Meals? Policy lessons from school meal programmes in Brazil and New Zealand
The Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches programme has been operating for six years, feeding one quarter of New Zealand’s students, with demonstrated early success; however, its future is not guaranteed. Brazil’s National School Feeding Programme represents one of the largest and longest-standing food provision initiatives in the world, currently feeding all students enrolled in public schools, and has seen massive success in lifting children out of malnutrition; national food insecurity rates are now lower than New Zealand’s. This study, published in Policy Quarterly, applied a policy analysis framework to compare the two programmes in terms of their content, actors, process and implementation context to distil key insights for New Zealand regarding building programme sustainability and legitimacy.

Nutrition & Physical Activity (International)

Effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Physical Activity and Reduce Sedentary Behaviour in Children and Adolescents With Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities often do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB). Evidence-based recommendations for effective interventions are lacking. This study, published in the Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, aimed to review existing interventions and identify effective components for this population.

School nurse-led interventions for the prevention and management of childhood obesity: A scoping review
Childhood obesity is one of the most pressing global public health concerns, associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases later in life. Early and school-based interventions are crucial to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent obesity-related complications. School nurses, due to their proximity to children and families, play a key role in prevention, education, and health promotion within the school setting. The objective of this review, published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing, was to map and synthesise the available evidence on school nurse-led interventions for the prevention and management of childhood obesity, identifying the main strategies, outcomes, and barriers to implementation.

Cancer Services (New Zealand)

Cancer journeys and health practitioners as gatekeepers, brokers, and boundary enforcers
Cancer survival is increasingly prevalent, and the longevity of survivors enable them to provide insights into the experiences of living with cancer. The objective of this article, published in Health, is to consider the roles that health practitioners play that can facilitate or provide hindrances to investigations and cancer treatment following a diagnosis of cancer.

Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes (New Zealand)

Perspectives of Indigenous Peoples on Home Dialysis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies
Indigenous patients are less likely to be treated with home dialysis, including home hemodialysis (HHD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD), compared to non-Indigenous people. This systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies, published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, aimed to better understand the experiences of Indigenous patients and caregivers with home dialysis.

Primary Mental Health (New Zealand)

Now We Are Fifteen Snapshot 02: Mental Health & Wellbeing
Adolescent mental health is a public health and policy priority in New Zealand. This snapshot draws on data from the Growing Up in New Zealand study to provide insights into four important aspects of mental health and wellbeing for 15-year-olds: mental wellbeing, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and peer relationships. Findings are presented in the context of priority populations and longitudinal experiences of material hardship.

Primary Mental Health (International)

The competency framework for mental health practitioners in primary care settings
The current Mental Health Practitioner (MHP) workforce within NHS primary care is without a competency framework to guide job planning, interviews and service provision. This paper, published in Psychology and Psychotherapy, aims to present an inclusive level-based framework for MHPs in primary care.

Smoking Cessation (New Zealand)

Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai: Māori perceptions of rolled tobacco harm
This article, published in AlterNative, seeks to understand Māori experiences of roll your own tobacco and how these experiences align with current on-pack warning messages.

Vaping behaviour of high-risk and typically developing adolescents: results from the Gauging Risk and Resilience in Teenagers (GRIT) Study
The aim of this study, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, was to describe the extent and nature of vaping behaviour in a high-risk group of adolescents compared to a regionally representative comparison group of same-age peers.

Smoking Cessation (International)

Effectiveness of telephone counseling and quitlines in tobacco cessation: A systematic review and meta-analysis
The objective of this this review, published in the Annals of Epidemiology, was to evaluate the effectiveness of telephone counselling, including quitlines, for tobacco cessation and to compare outcomes between randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies across diverse populations and settings.

Oral Health (International)

Drama-based interventions for school oral health promotion among children and adolescents: a scoping review
Traditional school oral health education, delivered through lectures and printed materials, is often passive and overlooks emotional and behavioural learning. This highlights the need for more interactive approaches. Drama-based techniques, such as role-play and storytelling, engage children, foster reflection and encourage social interaction, though evidence for long-term oral health remains limited. The aim of this study, published in BMC Oral Health, was to describe and summarise the available research on drama-based interventions among children and adolescents within school oral health promotion.

Key Ministry of Health Publications

Pre-pandemic Influenza Vaccine Framework
New Zealand stockpiles pre-pandemic influenza vaccine as part of the National Reserve Supply. The pre-pandemic vaccine stockpile is a public health tool that could support the initial response to an avian influenza health emergency or pandemic. New Zealand has a very limited quantity of pre-pandemic vaccine and must use the vaccine wisely and in ways that best protect the health of the population. The Pre-Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Framework outlines the Ministry of Health’s flexible, principles-based approach for managing and using the pre-pandemic vaccine stockpile. The framework supports effective and ethical use of the pre-pandemic stockpile and is part of the Ministry of Health’s wider pandemic preparedness work programme. The Pre-Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Framework aims to help decision makers prioritise and use the pre-pandemic vaccine to prevent and minimise deaths and serious illness in the initial phase of an avian influenza health emergency or pandemic.

Consultation on Proposed Amendments to the Specified Prescription Medicines List for Designated Registered Nurse Prescribers: Analysis of submissions
Designated registered nurse prescribers in primary health and speciality team have met specific training and practise requirements set by the Nursing Council of New Zealand (Nursing Council). This publication provides the analysis of submissions on the proposed amendments to the specified prescription medicines list for designated registered nurse prescribers and Schedule 1A of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977 consultation.

Health Sector Initiative

Seeing the child, not the diagnosis: Indigenous framework supporting whānau
A new Indigenous framework co-designed by University of Auckland researchers aims to reshape delivery of children’s palliative care. An Auckland whānau share their experience.

The information available on or through this newsletter does not represent Ministry of Health policy. It is intended to provide general information to the health sector and the public, and is not intended to address specific circumstances of any particular individual or entity.