Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915

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    Review: Space allowance for growing pigs: animal welfare, performance and on-farm practicality
    (Elsevier B V on behalf of The Animal Consortium, 2024-06) Chidgey KL
    There is considerable variation in the recommended minimum space allowance for growing pigs in scientific literature, and growing pressure, arising from recent reviews of current animal welfare standards for pigs, to increase the minimum space allowances set in legislation in some countries (e.g., European Union countries and New Zealand). The space provided for growing pigs needs to accommodate their physical body size in addition to social behaviour, activity, and essential functional behaviours. However, recommended minimum space allowances vary according to criteria such as temperature, live weight, flooring type, group size, behaviour, and enrichment availability. Though there may be justification for increasing current space requirements, this will present a practical issue on existing farms and could even result in unintended negative welfare outcomes, depending on how farmers address an increased requirement for space. This is not helped by inconsistent scientific approaches to assessing the effect of space on pig performance, and a lack of information on how space allowance impacts a pig's affective state. This review explores the scientific basis of the most common approaches to determining minimum space allowances for growing pigs and discusses the various factors that influence and interact with their spatial requirements. Consideration is given to their nutrition, physical environment, health, and behaviour to understand the welfare, performance, and practicality implications of differing recommendations for space allowance. More research is needed that investigates a range of space allowances to better understand the relationship between animal welfare and performance outcomes, and space allowance. This must replicate commercial conditions so that recommendations are relevant, future-focused, and achieve positive welfare outcomes in a practical but meaningful manner.
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    Sport for Reconciliation? Federal Sport Policy in Settler-Colonial States
    (University of Western Ontario, 2024-05-30) Forde S; Giles AR; Stewart-Withers R; Rynne S; Hapeta J; Hayhurst L; Henhawk D
    In settler-colonial contexts, the use of sport for reconciliation (SFR) has received increasing attention from national governments and their sporting agencies, though researchers have yet to track the development of SFR across settler colonial contexts. In this study, we examined how government sport policies in Australia, Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand frame understandings of reconciliation. Through the application of both policy and frame analysis to 82 documents from 1970s to 2020, we argue that policy framings have shifted from presenting Indigenous peoples as a homogenous disadvantaged group to more inclusive considerations of Indigenous cultures. Nevertheless, an assimilative agenda continues to guide policy, as understandings of Indigenous self-determination are absent from sport policy documents and reconciliation is primarily understood as Indigenous peoples being reconciled to the status quo.
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    Development of a cross-sectoral antimicrobial resistance capability assessment framework.
    (BMJ Publishing Group, 2024-02-05) Ferdinand AS; McEwan C; Lin C; Betham K; Kandan K; Tamolsaian G; Pugeva B; McKenzie J; Browning G; Gilkerson J; Coppo M; James R; Peel T; Levy S; Townell N; Jenney A; Stewardson A; Cameron D; Macintyre A; Buising K; Howden BP; Biswas S
    Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent and growing global health concern, and a clear understanding of existing capacities to address AMR, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), is needed to inform national priorities, investment targets and development activities. Across LMICs, there are limited data regarding existing mechanisms to address AMR, including national AMR policies, current infection prevention and antimicrobial prescribing practices, antimicrobial use in animals, and microbiological testing capacity for AMR. Despite the development of numerous individual tools designed to inform policy formulation and implementation or surveillance interventions to address AMR, there is an unmet need for easy-to-use instruments that together provide a detailed overview of AMR policy, practice and capacity. This paper describes the development of a framework comprising five assessment tools which provide a detailed assessment of country capacity to address AMR within both the human and animal health sectors. The framework is flexible to meet the needs of implementers, as tools can be used separately to assess the capacity of individual institutions or as a whole to align priority-setting and capacity-building with AMR National Action Plans (NAPs) or national policies. Development of the tools was conducted by a multidisciplinary team across three phases: (1) review of existing tools; (2) adaptation of existing tools; and (3) piloting, refinement and finalisation. The framework may be best used by projects which aim to build capacity and foster cross-sectoral collaborations towards the surveillance of AMR, and by LMICs wishing to conduct their own assessments to better understand capacity and capabilities to inform future investments or the implementation of NAPs for AMR.
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    Strengthening cancer control in the South Pacific through coalition-building: a co-design framework.
    (Elsevier B.V., 2023-04-28) Hyatt A; Chan B; Moodie R; Varlow M; Bates C; Foliaki S; Palafox N; Burich S; Aranda S
    Background Cancer is a significant problem for the South Pacific region due to a range of complex health challenges. Currently gaps in diagnosis, treatment and palliative care are significant, and while governmental commitment is strong, economic constrains limit health system strengthening. Alliances have been successful in strengthening non-communicable disease and cancer control policy and services in resource constrained settings. A regional coalition approach has therefore been recommended as an effective solution to addressing many of the challenges for cancer control in the South Pacific. However, evidence regarding the effective mechanisms for development of alliances or coalitions is scarce. This study aimed to 1) create a Coalition Development Framework; 2) assess the use of the Framework in practice to co-design a South Pacific Coalition. Methods Creation of the Coalition Development Framework commenced with a scoping review and content analysis of existing literature. Synthesis of key elements formed an evidence-informed step-by-step guide for coalition-building. Application of the Framework comprised consultation and iterative discussions with key South Pacific cancer control stakeholders in Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga. Concurrent evaluation of the Framework utilising Theory of Change (ToC) and qualitative analysis of stakeholder consultations was undertaken. Findings The finalised Coalition Development Framework comprised four phases with associated actions and deliverables: engagement, discovery, unification, action and monitoring. Application of the Framework in the South Pacific identified overwhelming support for a Cancer Control Coalition through 35 stakeholder consultations. Framework phases enabled stakeholders to confirm coalition design and purpose, strategic imperatives, structure, local foundations, barriers and facilitators, and priorities for action. ToC and thematic consultation analysis confirmed the Framework to be an effective mechanism to drive engagement, unification and action in alliance-building. Interpretation A Coalition to drive cancer control has significant support among key Pacific stakeholders, and establishment can now be commenced. Importantly results confirm the effective application of the Coalition Development Framework in an applied setting. If momentum is continued, and a regional South Pacific Coalition established, the benefits in reducing the burden of cancer within the region will be substantial. Funding This work was completed for a Masters of Public Health project. Cancer Council Australia provided project funding.
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    Steps towards operationalizing One Health approaches.
    (Elsevier B.V., 2024-04-27) Pepin KM; Carlisle K; Anderson D; Baker MG; Chipman RB; Benschop J; French NP; Greenhalgh S; McDougall S; Muellner P; Murphy E; O'Neale DRJ; Plank MJ; Hayman DTS
    One Health recognizes the health of humans, agriculture, wildlife, and the environment are interrelated. The concept has been embraced by international health and environmental authorities such as WHO, WOAH, FAO, and UNEP, but One Health approaches have been more practiced by researchers than national or international authorities. To identify priorities for operationalizing One Health beyond research contexts, we conducted 41 semi-structured interviews with professionals across One Health sectors (public health, environment, agriculture, wildlife) and institutional contexts, who focus on national-scale and international applications. We identify important challenges, solutions, and priorities for delivering the One Health agenda through government action. Participants said One Health has made progress with motivating stakeholders to attempt One Health approaches, but achieving implementation needs more guidance (action plans for how to leverage or change current government infrastructure to accommodate cross-sector policy and strategic mission planning) and facilitation (behavioral change, dedicated personnel, new training model).
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    Effectiveness of hospital transfer payments under a prospective payment system: An analysis of a policy change in New Zealand
    (John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2022-07) Schumacher C
    Prospective payment systems reimburse hospitals based on diagnosis-specific flat fees, which are generally based on average costs. While this encourages cost-consciousness on the part of hospitals, it introduces undesirable incentives for patient transfers. Hospitals might feel encouraged to transfer patients if the expected treatment costs exceed the diagnosis-related flat fee. A transfer fee would discourage such behavior and, therefore, could be welfare enhancing. In 2003, New Zealand introduced a fee to cover situations of patient transfers between hospitals. We investigate the effects of this fee by analyzing 4,020,796 healthcare events from 2000 to 2007 and find a significant reduction in overall transfers after the policy change. Looking at transfer types, we observe a relative reduction in transfers to non-specialist hospitals but a relative increase in transfers to specialist facilities. It suggests that the policy change created a focusing effect that encourages public health care providers to transfer patients only when necessary to specialized providers and retain those patients they can treat. We also find no evidence that the transfer fee harmed the quality of care, measured by mortality, readmission and length of stay. The broader policy recommendation of this research is the introduction or reassessment of transfer payments to improve funding efficiency.
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    Foreign investment in emerging legal medicinal cannabis markets: the Jamaica case study
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2021-04-01) Rychert M; Emanuel MA; Wilkins C
    Introduction The establishment of a legal market for medicinal cannabis under the Dangerous Drugs Amendment Act 2015 has positioned Jamaica at the forefront of cannabis law reform in the developing world. Many local cannabis businesses have attracted investment from overseas, including from Canada, US and Europe. Aim To explore the opportunities and risks of foreign investment in an emerging domestic legal cannabis market in a developing country. Methods Thematic analysis of semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 22 key informants (KIs) from the Jamaican government, local cannabis industry, academia and civil society, and field observations of legal and illegal cannabis cultivators. Results KIs from the Jamaican public agencies and domestic cannabis entrepreneurs saw foreign investment as an essential source of capital to finance the start-up costs of legal cannabis businesses. Local cannabis entrepreneurs prioritised investors with the greatest financial resources, brand reputation and export networks. They also considered how allied an investor was with their business vision (e.g., organic cultivation, medical vs. recreational). The key benefits of partnering with a foreign investor included transfer of technical knowledge and financial capital, which enhanced production, quality assurance and seed-to-sale tracking. Some KIs expressed concern over investors’ focus on increasing production efficiency and scale at the expense of funding research and development (R&D) and clinical trials. KIs from the local industry, government agencies and civil society highlighted the risks of ‘predatory’ shareholder agreements and domestic political interference. Concerns were raised about the impact of foreign investment on the diversity of the domestic cannabis sector in Jamaica, including the commitment to transition traditional illegal small-scale cannabis cultivators to the legal sector. Conclusion While foreign investment has facilitated the commercialisation of the cannabis sector in Jamaica, regulatory measures are also needed to protect the domestic industry and support the transition of small-scale illegal cultivators to the legal regime. Foreign investments may alter the economic, social and political determinants of health in transitioning from illegal to legal cannabis market economy.
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    Facilitating an early career transition pathway to community nursing: A Delphi Policy Study.
    (John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2020-01) Chamberlain D; Harvey C; Hegney D; Tsai L; Mclellan S; Sobolewska A; Wood E; Hendricks J; Wake T
    Aim To further develop and validate a new model of the early career transition pathway in the speciality of community nursing. Design Delphi policy approach, guided by a previous systematic review and semi-structured interviews. Methods Four rounds of an expert panel (N = 19). Rounds one, two and four were questionnaires consisting of a combination of closed (Likert response) and open-ended questions. Round three comprised of a focus group conducted using virtual meeting technology. Results The final model demonstrated reliable and valid measures. There were deficiencies in “pre-entry”—where the marketing of community nursing was negligible and the support around orientation informal and minimal, mainly due to tight budgetary concerns. Community practice holds a whole new dimension for nurses transitioning from acute care as the concept of “knowing your community” took time and support—time to be accepted reciprocally and develop a sense of belonging to the community.