Massey Research Online


Nau mai, haere mai, welcome to the research repository at Massey University – Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa.

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Chinese and Indian views of pain and pain management: A qualitative evidence synthesis to facilitate chronic pain management
(Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of World Institute of Pain, 2023-07-01) Lewis GN; Shaikh N; Wang G; Chaudhary S; Bean DJ; Terry G
Objective People from minority ethnicities often have a greater impact of chronic pain, are underrepresented at pain services, and may not benefit from treatment to the same extent as dominant cultures. The aim of this study was to review Indian and Chinese cultural views of pain and pain management, as a basis for improving management of chronic pain in migrant populations from these ethnicities. Methods A systematic review of qualitative studies addressing pain beliefs and experiences involving Indian and Chinese participants was conducted. Thematic synthesis was used to identify themes across the studies, and the quality of the articles was appraised. Results Twenty-six articles were included, most of which were appraised as high quality. Five themes were identified: Making meaning of pain described the holistic interpretation of the meaning of pain; Pain is disabling and distressing described the marked physical, psychological, and spiritual impact of pain; Pain should be endured described the cultural expectation to suppress responses to pain and not be a burden; Pain brings strength and spiritual growth described the enrichment and empowerment some people experienced through living with pain, and Management of pain goes beyond a traditional or Western approach described the factors that guided people in their use of healthcare. Discussion The review identified a holistic interpretation and impact of pain in Indian and Chinese populations, with pain management guided by multiple factors that transcended a single cultural framework. Several strength-based management strategies are recommended based on preferences for traditional treatments and respect for Western healthcare.
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Tokelau tā tatau – Tokelau tattoo : a reconnection to cultural identity : an exhibition report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters in Māori Visual Arts at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2024) Kirifi, Jack Fati
This exhibition report presents the art of Tokelau tā tatau or traditional Tokelau tattoo as a journey of reconnection to Tokelau cultural identity through contemporary Tokelau art. The loss of Tokelau tā tatau in the mid 1800’s due to missionary influence disconnected the art and symbolism of tā tatau as an expression of Tokelau cultural identity. My framework traces a journey of reconnection, bridging the past to the present to confront and remove the cultural amnesia surrounding tā tatau, which was once central to Tokelau cultural identity. The historical series and tupuna portraits in this report re-establishes the significance of tā tatau and its relevance in the contemporary landscape of Tokelau cultural identity. Contemporary Tokelau art has influenced the re-emergence of Tokelau tā tatau motifs within Tokelau communities today. This report reflects my personal journey as a New Zealand born Tokelau artist reconnecting to Tokelau tā tatau through my art practice.
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Who does not advance loses ground: Green investment as a strategic response by small and medium-sized enterprises to economic policy uncertainty
(Elsevier B V, 2025-08-01) Yue S; Anderson H; Liao J
This study examines how listed small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) respond to economic policy uncertainty (EPU exposure) through their environmental decisions. We find that SMEs are associated with increased environmental investment when facing heightened EPU exposure. Notably, SMEs with greater EPU exposure are more likely to invest in clean energy-related initiatives, underscoring the important role of the energy sector in driving corporate sustainable strategies. Additionally, this study reveals that the impact of EPU exposure on environmental investments is more salient when SMEs face fewer financial constraints, are located in more marketized regions, operate in less competitive markets and non-heavily polluting industries, and after the implementation of the 2012 Green Credit Policy. These findings suggest that SMEs are more likely to adopt sustainable practices under heightened policy uncertainty, leveraging environmental initiatives as a strategic response to facilitate firm development and growth.
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Impacts of Food Fortification on Micronutrient Intake and Nutritional Status of Women of Reproductive Age in Africa—A Narrative Review
(Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Society for Nutrition, 2025-07-01) Coomson JB; Smith NW; McNabb W
More than two-thirds of women of reproductive age (WRA) in Africa are estimated to be micronutrient deficient. This is largely due to the widespread poor dietary quality and inadequate intakes of nutrient-dense foods to meet the heightened requirements for WRA. Food fortification is a cost-effective and highly recommended food-based approach for addressing these micronutrient deficiencies in low-income settings like Africa. The strategy has been implemented at different scales within the region for over 3 decades. We conducted a review to find evidence of the impact of food fortification implemented at various scales and across different population circumstances in Africa. We also sought to understand what factors may limit the impact of ongoing fortification programs on micronutrient status. We also explored findings regarding the knowledge and acceptability of fortified foods within the African population as a further barrier to the impact of food fortification on nutritional status. We found that fortification with iron and vitamin A was associated with the most variable impact from targeted and large-scale fortification programs. However, significant positive effects on nutritional status and serum biomarkers were found for food fortification with folate, iodine, and zinc among African women. Generally, fortified foods are acceptable to consumers; however, surveys assessing knowledge and preference for fortified foods found that WRA know little about food fortification and its benefits. Poor coverage of fortification, lower levels of fortificants than are recommended, and use of non-World Health Organization recommended fortificants limit the impact of food fortification on micronutrient intakes and status among WRA in Africa.
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Selling dreams not dressing : in the AI era sustainable fashion : a photography design study
(Massey University, 2025) Wang, Tianyi
Given the environmental crisis generated by fashion creation and communication, it is urgent to transform the current workflow towards a sustainable future. Research on sustainable fashion has primarily focused on promoting fashion design and production methods to reduce environmental impact. From the perspective of clothing design, we strive to solve material recycling issues and reduce consumption and resources by improving the various processes in the supply chain. The role of fashion photography has largely been ignored in the field of sustainable fashion despite playing an important role in current fashion communication. This study aims to explore how AI generation tools can reduce the environmental impact in the fashion photography production stage and effectively convey virtual clothing and virtual scene shooting for sustainable brand designers. This study is based on the potential of AI software to reduce production costs, improve the time efficiency of advertising production, and facilitate the realization of sustainable design schemes. In this process, sustainable fashion clothing imagery is used to promote communication and iterations between fashion designers and photographers while meeting design needs and innovating visual effects. This research provides a novel fashion photography process for sustainable fashion brands. It helps reduce obstacles caused by an insufficient advertising budget that plagues many slow fashions and smaller-scale producers. Looking forward, AI fashion photography can contribute to the design stage and embed the visualization strategy at the beginning to aid waste and resource problems. This could reconcile the contradiction between visual effect creativity and production, achieving sustainable goals.