Pātaka Rangahau

Massey Research Online

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

Find and share full text theses, dissertations, exegeses, and original open access scholarly works by our researchers and postgraduate students.

Deposit your Doctoral thesis

Communities in MRO

Select a community to browse its collections.

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

Recent Submissions

Calcium intake and food sources of calcium in adolescents living in the Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions of New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2026) Urquhart, Annabelle Lucy
Background: Adolescence is a time of rapid linear growth and acquisition of bone mass. Adequate calcium intake supports rapid bone growth during this time and is crucial to help prevent osteoporosis later in life. The most recent national nutrition data from over 15 years ago showed inadequate calcium intake in New Zealand (NZ) adolescents. A recent study conducted in Dunedin found that calcium intake in older adolescents was lower than national recommendations. Milk and cheese were found to be the primary sources of calcium in NZ adolescents’ diets. This study aims to investigate current calcium dietary intake and food sources of calcium for adolescents living in NZ. Methods: This cross-sectional study presents a secondary analysis from Te Rourou Kai o Ngā Rangatahi: Eating Patterns of Young People in NZ. Adolescents (n = 310) in Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty regions of NZ, adolescents aged 12 to 18 years participated. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and Intake24 (an online multiple-pass method 24-hour dietary recall). Data from the recalls was used to obtain calcium intakes and dietary sources of calcium. Results: The majority of participants were female (66.7%) and identified as Māori (30.3%) or NZ European (27.7%). Calcium intakes (mean  SD) were 576  419 mg and 586  444 mg for females and males respectively (p = 0.845). The median [IQR] calcium intake for female adolescents was 482 mg [286, 780], and for male adolescents was 463 mg [286, 790] (p = 0.941). The prevalence of inadequate calcium intake (based on the calcium estimated average requirement of 1050 mg/day) in females was 88.9% (n = 184) and 84.3% (n = 87) in males (p = 0.255). Predominant food sources of calcium in adolescents were savoury mixed dishes (24.5%), non-alcoholic beverages (18.2%), and milk & milk alternatives (14.6%). Conclusion: Calcium intake among participants was below the estimated average requirement, indicating a need to promote calcium-rich foods among adolescents. Primary dietary food sources of calcium included mixed dishes and non-alcoholic beverages. Further research with two non-consecutive 24-hour recalls is required to more accurately investigate calcium intake, particularly in younger adolescents, and the context in which calcium is being consumed to better understand calcium intake in NZ adolescents.
“We can be the hero of our own stories” : a narrative analysis of the journey through topical steroid withdrawal : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2026) Ford, Shelley Annette
Chronic illness can profoundly disrupt biography and identity. Illness caused by iatrogenesis can present the additional experience of being harmed by treatment designed to heal. Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW) is an iatrogenic medical condition associated with the prolonged use of topical corticosteroids applied to the skin, typically to treat skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. Although existing research has primarily focused on biomedical explanations, little attention has been paid to how enduring TSW is experienced and made meaningful by those who live with it. This thesis explores the lived experience of TSW through a narrative analysis of an online blog written by an individual with the condition. The influential narrative model The Hero’s Journey is used to interpret how suffering, identity, and disruption are storied within the blog. This research demonstrates how narrative structures can highlight meaning for the sufferer and demonstrate the challenges faced during the experience of TSW.
Towards a resilient and safer New Zealand : a model for evaluating the New Zealand countering terrorism and violent extremism strategy : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Defence and Security Studies at Te Kunenga Ki Purehuroa, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2026) Robyns, Tane Gray
A model for evaluating the New Zealand Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism Strategy (NZCTVES) does not currently exist and therefore there remains significant vulnerabilities within our national security system. This research set out to bridge this vulnerability through the development of a Mixed Methods Research (MMR) evaluation model, that may be applied to either the current or future strategies. The research was broken down into three focal areas; does the current strategy work and how is it evaluated, how do other nations evaluate their counter terrorism (CT) and counter violent extremism (VE) strategies, and finally, how do design, build and implement a New Zealand centric CT and VE model. Focus area one employed deductive research via a qualitative approach, focus area two involved a thematic analysis of other nations’ approach to critiquing and assessing counter-terrorism frameworks and a comparative analysis of existing empirical data in defined international settings, while focus area three finalised the capture and analysis of appropriate assessment and evaluation methodology-related findings, to design an evaluation model. The research findings determined that an MMR approach consisting of a combination of Process and Impact evaluation, were considered most suitable for evaluating the NZCTVES. Process evaluation is a systematic assessment of how an intervention is implemented leading to determinations regarding quality, granularity and delivery of activities, as opposed to just a focus on outcomes. Impact evaluation involves a rigorous evidence-based assessment that determines the causal effect of a strategy, programme or policy on the target population. These findings led to the development of a multi-stage evaluation model, involving both foundational research methodologies, alongside elements of theory and quasi-experimental approaches. Application of this evaluation model will offer a form of fidelity, transparency and ultimately accountability to the delivery of the NZCTVES, thereby bridging a vulnerability in New Zealand’s national security system.
Neurobiology of anxiety and anxiety disorders : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Veterinary Studies (MVS) at School of Veterinary Science - Tāwharau Ora, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2026) Ghazi, Amaan
Anxiety is one of the most conserved affective states across sentient organisms, yet its biological, historical and pharmacological aspects remain incompletely integrated. This thesis examines anxiety across three domains to establish a unified framework that links anxiety as a physiological affective state and anxiety disorders as psychopathological disorders. An in-depth literature review was conducted to analyse findings across disciplines namely anatomy, pharmacology, psychology, and neuroscience, to dissect anxiety and anxiety disorders, how they are manifested in different species and what underlying changes occur. Each domain revealed conceptual boundaries that reflect both the progress and the persistent gaps in anxiety research. The absence of a clear, cross-disciplinary distinction between physiological anxiety and anxiety disorders has limited translational research, particularly across species. This thesis addresses that gap by integrating historical, neuroanatomical, and psychopharmacological evidence to propose a unified, biologically grounded framework applicable across humans, canines, non-human primates, and rodents. What emerges is not a disorder of circuits gone wrong, but of circuits that cannot stop being correct, and it is precisely that distinction that future research, across species and disciplines, must be built upon.
Estimation of additive and dominance genetic parameters and identification of dominance markers for production and fertility traits in New Zealand dairy cattle : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Animal Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2026) Schmidlin Wilson, Dorothy Florence
Traditional genomic evaluation models in dairy cattle only account for additive genetic effects and generally exclude dominance effects. However, dominance effects may contribute to phenotypic variation in economically important traits. The aim of this research was to estimate additive and dominance variance components for milk production traits, milk composition traits, and fertility traits and identify significant dominance marker effects through genome wide association studies (GWAS). This study used 5,686 lactation records from 1,667 spring calved cows across two Massey University research herds, and genotype data from 49,171 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Genomic restricted maximum likelihood was used to estimate variance components under additive-only and additive + dominance models, with pedigree-based estimates included for comparison. Genome-wide association studies were performed for yields of milk, fat, protein, and lactose, percentages of fat, protein, and lactose, and fertility traits including days from the start of mating to first service (SMFS), pregnancy rate at first service (PRFS), 3-week submission rate (SR21), and 6-week pregnancy rate (PR42) where additive and dominance SNP effects were fitted simultaneously as covariates. Milk yield traits, including milk volume, fat, and protein, had moderate heritability estimates ranging between 0.22–0.28. Milk composition traits, including fat percentage, protein percentage, and lactose percentage, had high heritability estimates ranging between 0.45–0.69, and fertility traits SMFS, PRFS, SR21, and PR42 had low heritability estimates of less than 0.021. Dominance variance contributed between 8–12% of phenotypic variance for milk yield traits but was negligible for milk composition and fertility traits. These findings suggest that although additive variance accounted for a greater proportion of phenotypic variance, dominance may contribute to variation in economically important yield traits. Genome-wide association analyses identified significant additive associations on chromosome 14 for milk yield traits, and fat and protein percentage, as well as additive association signals on chromosome 5 for milk yield, lactose yield, and fat percentage. Dominance association signals were generally weaker, with a region on chromosome 9 identified for fat yield. Few significant additive and dominance markers were identified for fertility traits. The detection of dominance associations without significant additive associations highlights genomic regions that may not be detected using additive-only models. Although this study was limited by sample size, the results highlight the potential relevance of accounting for dominance effects in future genomic analyses of dairy cattle traits.