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.

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Social vulnerabilities and wildfire evacuations: A case study of the 2019 Kincade fire
(Elsevier B.V., 2024-05-31) Sun Y; Forrister A; Kuligowski ED; Lovreglio R; Cova TJ; Zhao X
Vulnerable populations (e.g., populations with lower income or disabilities) are disproportionately impacted by natural hazards like wildfires. It is crucial to develop equitable and effective evacuation strategies to meet their unique needs. While existing studies offer valuable insights, we need to improve our understanding of how vulnerabilities affect wildfire evacuation decision-making, as well as how this varies spatially. The goal of this study is to conduct an in-depth analysis of the impacts of social vulnerabilities on aggregated evacuation decisions, including evacuation rates, delay in departure time, and evacuation destination distance by leveraging large-scale GPS data generated by mobile devices. Specifically, we inferred evacuation decisions at the level of the census block group, a geographic unit defined by the U.S. Census, utilizing GPS data. We then employed ordinary least squares and geographically weighted regression models to investigate the impacts of social vulnerabilities on evacuation decisions. We also used Moran's I to test if these impacts were consistent across different block groups. The 2019 Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, California, was used as the case study. The impacts of social vulnerabilities on evacuation rates show significant spatial variations across block groups, whereas their effects on the other two decision types do not. Additionally, unemployment, a factor under-explored in previous studies, was identified as contributing to both an increased delay in departure time and a reduction in destination distance of evacuees at the aggregate level. Furthermore, upon comparing the significant factors across different models, we observed that some of the vulnerabilities contributing to evacuation rates for all residents differed from those affecting the delay in departure time and destination distance, which only applied to evacuees. These new insights can guide emergency managers and transportation planners to enhance equitable wildfire evacuation planning and operations.
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Farm management and husbandry practices associated with spontaneous humeral fractures in New Zealand dairy heifers.
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-02-04) Wehrle-Martinez A; Lawrence KE; Back PJ; Rogers CW; Dittmer KE
AIMS: To use a farm-based survey to identify characteristics of the New Zealand dairy system associated with the risk of spontaneous humeral fracture in dairy heifers. METHODS: A questionnaire was designed and made available in print and online to collect information from dairy farmers and/or veterinarians, across New Zealand, about the management and nutrition of cows from birth to first lactation. Data were collected from July 2019 to March 2020 from farms that either had recorded (case farms) or not recorded (control farms) cases of humeral fractures in dairy heifers. RESULTS: A total of 68 completed questionnaires were returned, with 35 responses from case farms and 33 responses from control farms. Twenty-six responses (38%) were from the South Island (13 case farms and 13 control farms) and 38 responses (56%) were from the North Island (20 case farms and 18 control farms). For four questionnaires (6%) farm location was not given. Adjusting for the effect of age when calves accessed pasture, case farms had increased odds of having Holstein-Friesian Jersey crossbreed cows as the predominant breed (OR = 9.7; 95% CI = 3.1-36.0; p < 0.001). Adjusting for the effect of breed, allowing calves access to pasture a week later decreased the odds of being a case farm (OR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.47-0.90; p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Cows being Holstein-Friesian Jersey crossbreed was identified as a possible risk factor associated with spontaneous humeral fracture in dairy heifers in New Zealand. Given the small sample size, the likely multifactorial aetiology for humeral fractures, and the non-randomised survey, this risk factor, and the possible association between age at turn out and herd production with humeral fractures, all require further investigation.
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Estimating the alcohol-related burden of child maltreatment among Māori in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
(John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs, 2024-07-21) Huckle T; Barnes HM; Romeo JS
Introduction To assesses the alcohol-related burden of child maltreatment among Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand. We compared the risk of child maltreatment among Māori (0–17 years) exposed to parents with alcohol-related hospitalisation or mental health/addiction service use. We also conducted a sensitivity analysis to estimate the number of cases of maltreatment that could be attributed to alcohol among Māori. Methods A cohort study of 16,617 Māori aged 0–17 and their parents from 2000 to 2017 was conducted using the Statistics New Zealand Integrated Data Infrastructure. A Bayesian piecewise exponential model estimated the risk of time to first child maltreatment event. This analysis used data from child protection, hospital, mortality and police records, and specifically focused on the risk associated with exposure to parents with an alcohol-attributable hospitalisation or mental health/addiction service use event. Potential confounders for both parents and Māori (0–17 years) were included. We calculated a population-attributable fraction to estimate the proportion of maltreatment cases that could be attributed to alcohol in 2017. Results Results showed a 65% increased risk for young Māori exposed to parents with heavy alcohol use. We estimated 17% of substantiated child maltreatment among Māori could be attributed to parental hazardous alcohol consumption. Discussion and Conclusions Severe or hazardous alcohol consumption among parents is a risk factor for child maltreatment among Māori. Māori alcohol consumption and harm are symptomatic of wider inequities related, among other things, to the ongoing effects of colonisation, as well as gaps in the regulation of alcohol sales.
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Decolonising Qualitative Analysis: Collectively Weaving Understanding Using Talanoa and Fa’afaletui Pacific-Indigenous Research Methods
(SAGE Publications, 2024-01-01) Mafile’o T; Vaka S; Leau K; Satele P; Alefaio-Tugia S
Sense-making processes shape the messages and impacts of qualitative research. Using qualitative data analysis methods embedded within a Pacific-Indigenous research paradigm decolonises research. This article discusses the Pacific-Indigenous data analysis processes of talanoa and fa’afaletui employed within a study of Pacific elder care in Aotearoa New Zealand, conducted by scholars of Pacific/Moana heritage. While research literature has primarily identified talanoa and fa’afaletui as data collection methods, we discuss our use of talanoa and fa’afaletui as methods of analysis. Talanoa and fa’afaletui were engaged as collective processes of orality weaving understanding from the researchers’ lived experiences and navigating across languages. Enhancing authenticity and actionability are identified as benefits of talanoa and fa’afaletui collective data analysis. Considerations for implementing these methods are language, logistics and location.
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Community use of school grounds outside of school hours
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-07-13) Lin E-Y; Witten K; Carroll P; Parker K
Physical activity in childhood is essential for healthy development and wellbeing and school grounds can provide neighbourhood access to safe play spaces. This study examines the relationship between school demographics (school size, school decile, ethnicity of students and population density) and whether school grounds are open or closed for community use outside school hours. Data were gathered from 391 primary and intermediate schools across Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), Aotearoa New Zealand (84% of Auckland schools) with 250 schools participating in the full survey. The results indicate that higher school decile and lower population density are associated with school grounds being available for community use. This result is concerning. With closed school grounds more likely to be in lower socio-economic and higher population density areas, the children most affected are the same group who have fewer opportunities and less spaces for active play. The main reason schools closed their grounds was ‘vandalism /graffiti/theft concerns’. Low decile schools whose grounds were open outside of school hours shared a similar commitment to involve their communities widely in school activities and found doing so decreased the levels of vandalism. Their approach may offer useful insights to schools that are currently closed.