Welcome to Massey Research Online
Massey Research Online is an open access digital archive of the research and scholarship of Massey University and is jointly managed by the University Library and Information Technology Services.
Massey Research Online contains research theses and research outputs including published work by Massey University students and academic staff as well as peer-reviewed material not published elsewhere. In the case of previously published research outputs all requirements of copyright owners are observed.
Items in Massey Research Online are fully indexed and searchable on Google Scholar and NZ Research.
To submit research outputs to Massey Research Online, check out the Depositing content to MRO page. For all other queries, email the Library.
Communities in DSpace
Select a community to browse its collections.
Recent Submissions
Item
Nutritional composition of New Zealand native shrubs edible portions with fodder potential for ruminants
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-11-13) Wangui JC; Pain SJ; Kenyon PR; Tozer PR; Simmonds G; Millner JP
In New Zealand, willow and poplar are used on hill farms for erosion control and to supplement pasture during low pasture periods. Some native shrubs are browsed by wild herbivores but remain unexplored for farmed ruminants. We evaluated the seasonal nutritional composition of five native New Zealand shrubs (Karamū, Pāpāuma, Karo, Whauwhaupaku, and Houhere) and compared them with willow (Kinuyanagi). Leaf and edible stem were analysed for nutritional composition and in vitro digestibility following AOAC procedures. Results showed that except Houhere, all other native shrubs leaves had lower crude protein (CP) (11 MJ/ kg DM) than Kinuyanagi. Kinuyanagi leaves were comparable to Houhere in ME and CP in spring but had lower CP in summer. Stem nutritional composition was similar across all shrubs. Acid and neutral detergent fibres in edible portions were comparable to those in common pastures, fodder crops, and forages in New Zealand. The findings suggest native shrubs could supplement low ME in summer pastures or winter herbage scarcity, but further research is needed on animal preference and intake.
Item
Alcohol-related harms now available on demand
(Public Health Communication Centre, 2024-08-15) Burke S; Roseveare C; Wilson N
Alcohol is one of the major causes of health loss in Aotearoa NZ. It is now available at people's fingertips through online on-demand delivery – within two hours from ordering. This Briefing summarises the evidence for potential harm that this easy access may contribute to. It also describes some of the regulatory reforms to alcohol legislation that the NZ Government could enact to address this risk to health and wellbeing.
Item
New Zealand ethical consumption driven by universalism and personal achievement; can it also be fun?
(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2024-10-24) Hasan S; Wooliscroft B; Ganglmair-Wooliscroft A
Overconsumption and environmental pollution in New Zealand are leading to the depletion of its resources, threatening its ecosystem. This paper explores New Zealanders’ ethical and sustainable consumption behaviour, and the motivations and values that drive them. Seventy in-depth interviews with a variety of ethical consumers were conducted and analysed using laddering technique to uncover drivers behind ethical consumption habits. Results reflect the complexity and variety inherent in ethical consumption, and its motivations and drivers. Most ethical behaviours are environmentally focused, aimed at pollution reduction and environmental conservation. Ethical behaviours with a social focus are directed at the local or the international community. Social justice, equality and unity of nature (all sub-values of universalism) are revealed as drivers of ethical behaviours, and are complemented by personal achievement (feeling capable) and feelings of enjoyment–consuming ethically can also be ‘fun’. The complexity of the findings highlights the need for customised messaging from policymakers and businesses to increase ethical consumption behaviours in New Zealand.
Item
Economic burden of patients with leading cancers in China: a cost-of-illness study.
(BioMed Central Ltd, 2024-09-27) Wu Z; Yu Y; Xie F; Chen Q; Cao Z; Chen S; Liu GG
BACKGROUND: China accounts for 24% of newly diagnosed cancer cases and 30% of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Comprehensive analyses of the economic burden on patients across different cancer treatment phases, based on empirical data, are lacking. This study aims to estimate the financial burden borne by patients and analyze the cost compositions of the leading cancers with the highest number of new cases in China.
METHODS: This cross-sectional cost-of-illness study analyzed patients diagnosed with lung, breast, colorectal, esophageal, liver, or gastric cancer, identified through electronic health records (EHRs) from 84 hospitals across 17 provinces in China. Patients completed any one of the initial treatment phase, follow-up phase, and relapse/metastasis phase were recruited by trained attending physicians through a stratified sampling procedure to ensure enough cases for each cancer progression stage and cancer treatment phase. Direct and indirect costs by treatment phase were collected from the EHRs and self-reported surveys. We estimated per case cost for each type of cancer, and employed subgroup analyses and multiple linear regression models to explore cost drivers.
RESULTS: We recruited a total of 13,745 cancer patients across three treatment phases. The relapse/metastasis phase incurred the highest per case costs, varying from $8,890 to $14,572, while the follow-up phase was the least costly, ranging from $1,840 to $4,431. Being in the relapse/metastasis phase and having an advanced clinical stage of cancer at diagnosis were associated with significantly higher cost, while patients with low socioeconomic status borne lower costs.
CONCLUSIONS: There were substantial financial burden on patients with six leading cancers in China. Health policymakers should emphasize comprehensive healthcare coverage for marginalized populations such as the uninsured, less educated, and those living in underdeveloped regions.
Item
Identifying barriers to installing above-ground rainwater tanks in urban households in Aotearoa New Zealand: a segmentation approach
(Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group, 2024-09-05) McLeod LJ; Dorner Z; Hine DW; Kitson JC; Milfont TL; Stahlmann-Brown P; Tassell-Matamua NA
Urbanisation poses numerous challenges to fresh water biodiversity, and installation of above-ground rainwater tanks on private properties is one important tool for addressing these challenges. In this paper, we used an online survey targeting a representative sample of 1291 urban residents to investigate their underlying capabilities, opportunities, and motivations for installation of above-ground rainwater tanks on their properties. Only 221 (17%) of the 1,291 respondents already had an above-ground rainwater tank installed on their property. By segmenting on behavioural variables, we found that those urban residents who currently did not have a water tank on their property were not homogeneous. We identified three audience segments, ‘Supportive’ (19%), ‘Receptive’ (59%) and ‘Reluctant’ (22%), each with their own unique driver and barrier combination to rainwater tank installation. Suitable leverage points and behaviour change tools (e.g. education, enablement, incentivisation) and message framing (environmental, community, or functional benefits) are identified for each segment.