VHIN webinars run the second Wednesday of each month, 12–1PM. Details are posted here each month, as well as on the Facebook group, and you can specifically opt in to our mailing list by emailing vhin@otago.ac.nz. The list below also includes links to watch recordings of these sessions.
Join us at: https://tinyurl.com/VHIN-webinars
As some agencies cannot use tinyurl links, the full link is:
https://auckland.zoom.us/j/93684427709?pwd=Nkx4c25Ba1UyL0RIYWsrSU16SWlRdz09
Wednesday 8 October
Neurodegenerative Diseases in Male Former First-Class New Zealand Rugby Players
Francesca Anns, COMPASS Research Centre, University of Auckland
Growing concern surrounds the risk of neurodegenerative diseases in high-level collision sports, but research on Rugby Union’s connection to these diseases is limited.
This study sought to examine the long-term neurodegenerative disease risk associated with participation in high-level Rugby Union (‘rugby’), utilising whole-population administrative records.
This retrospective cohort study in New Zealand compared males born between 1920 and 1984 who were active in high-level (provincial or higher) rugby between 1950 and 2000 (n = 12,861) with males from the general population (n = 2,394,300), matched by age, ethnicity, and birthplace. We used Cox proportional hazards models to assess risks of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, motor neuron disease, and other dementias, ascertained using mortality and hospitalisation records from January 1988 to June 2023.
A higher percentage of rugby players (6.5%) than males in the general population (5.2%) developed neuro-degenerative diseases, with hazard ratios indicating players showed increased risks for any neurodegenerative disease (1.22; 95% CI 1.14–1.30), Alzheimer’s disease (1.61; 95% CI 1.42–1.83), and other dementias (1.23; 95% CI 1.14–1.33). Significant differences were not observed for Parkinson’s disease (1.05; 95% CI 0.89–1.22) and motor neuron disease (1.16; 95% CI 0.83–1.63). In general, this increased risk among players compared to the general population began around 70–79 years. Compared to the general population, small to moderate increased risks of any neurodegenerative disease were observed for a backline playing position, provincial and/or amateur players, international and/or professional players, participation in ≥ 2 years of play, and participation in five or more matches.
High-level rugby participation amongst males in New Zealand is associated with a small to moderate increase in neurodegenerative disease rates compared to the general population.
Fran is a PhD student and a Research Assistant at the Centre of Methods and Policy Application in the Social Sciences, University of Auckland. Her research interests are broad, with particular focus on topics such as neurodivergence, chronic health conditions, and long-term health outcomes of high-level New Zealand rugby players.
Wednesday 10 September
Vaccine effectiveness and vaccine safety of herpes zoster vaccination
James Mbinta, School of Health, Victoria University of Wellington
Zoster, commonly referred to as shingles, is a painful dermal eruption resulting from the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus. Without vaccination, one in three people will develop zoster during their lifetime, and the risk increases with age. Among those diagnosed with zoster, an estimated 5–30% develop postherpetic neuralgia (debilitating pain persisting for an extended period following the resolution of the herpes zoster rash), 9–25% experience herpes zoster ophthalmicus (where the rash occurs in or around the eye), and 1–4% are hospitalised for zoster.
We examined the epidemiology, effectiveness, and safety of herpes zoster vaccination, combining international evidence with large-scale population data from Aotearoa New Zealand. A systematic review and meta-analysis synthesised global post-licensure evidence, while retrospective cohort and self-controlled case series studies applied to national health datasets evaluated real-world outcomes.
Findings indicated that the recombinant zoster vaccine and the live attenuated vaccine significantly reduce incidence of zoster and its complications. Safety analyses of the vaccines revealed no evidence of increased risk of serious adverse events following immunisation.
These findings provide strong real-world evidence that zoster vaccines are both effective and safe, and they highlight the importance of increasing vaccine uptake among older adults to reduce disease burden and promote healthy ageing.
James is a Research Fellow at the School of Health, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. His research examines the epidemiology, effectiveness, and safety of vaccines in real-world clinical settings. Understanding how vaccines perform in routine medical practice ensures that we optimise their impact and minimise the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Wednesday 13 August
Long-term health and economic impacts of cruciate ligament injuries
Dr Ross Wilson, Centre for Musculoskeletal Outcomes Research,
University of Otago
Ross will present recent research on the long-term impacts of cruciate ligament injuries, and reflect on some of the opportunities and challenges faced in conducting observational epidemiological studies using the IDI.
Cruciate ligament injuries have the potential to result in long-term health and economic impacts, but such effects are difficult to study empirically. People who experience cruciate injuries are not representative of the broader population, and are likely to differ even after controlling for observable factors (even with the wealth of data available in the IDI!). Causal inference based on observed outcomes is therefore challenging.
Findings from a series of studies aiming to identify the long-term impacts of cruciate ligament injuries suggest that cruciate ligament injuries result in increased healthcare use and healthcare costs, reduced employment and incomes, and higher receipt of social welfare payments, persisting over at least 10 years after injury.
Ross will also discuss analytical challenges encountered in these studies; the evolution of methodological approaches used to try to overcome these challenges; and the implications for conducting and interpreting IDI-based research in epidemiology and health economics.
Ross is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Musculoskeletal Outcomes Research, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Otago.
He is a health economist, working mostly on the impact and management of musculoskeletal disorders, particularly osteoarthritis, and is interested in bridging the methodologies of epidemiology and health economics to answer questions informing healthcare policy and delivery.
Wednesday 9 July
Accommodation Supplement and Children’s Wellbeing in Aotearoa
Oliver Vovchenko, New Zealand Policy Research Institute,
Auckland University of Technology
This research examines the wellbeing of children born into families supported by New Zealand’s housing allowance, the Accommodation Supplement (AS), comparing health, criminal justice, and education outcomes of these children to children raised in similarly situated households.
The results reveal that at age 18, children born into AS-supported families experience statistically significant adverse effects on educational attainment, health, and interactions with the criminal justice system relative to non-recipient children. The findings also present neighbourhood deprivation trajectories of AS-supported children until age 18, possibly accounting for some of the outcomes differences.
These findings highlight the influence of neighbourhood deprivation on children’s wellbeing and the possible role that housing policy can play in improving the wellbeing of New Zealand’s children.
Oliver is a PhD student at the New Zealand Policy Research Institute, Auckland University of Technology. He is interested in causal inference and applying data science and econometric methods to policy evaluation problems.
Wednesday 11 June
School Attendance Among Autistic Students in Aotearoa
Dr Nick Bowden, University of Otago
In this presentation, Nick shares findings from the first national study of school attendance among autistic students in Aotearoa New Zealand, using linked data from over 650,000 students via StatsNZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI).
The study reveals that autistic students are significantly less likely to attend school regularly compared to their non-autistic peers, with the largest disparities seen among younger students. These absences were mostly reported as ‘justified’ – predominantly for medical reasons – highlighting the complex needs many autistic learners face.
Nick will explore the implications of these findings for education and health policy, and the need for inclusive, targeted supports that enable autistic students to effectively participate in school. The presentation also demonstrates how population-level data can identify gaps, inform investment, and drive system change.
Nick is a Senior Research Fellow with the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Otago. He is a quantitative social scientist specialising in child health research using linked population-level data. In particular, he is interested in the intersection between health and non‑health outcomes for children and young people with neurodevelopmental, mental health, and other chronic health conditions. Nick is passionate about research that can inform evidence-based policy and health delivery change to address inequities in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Wednesday 9 April
Early-Life Antibiotic Use and Risk of Childhood Type 1 Diabetes:
A nationwide cohort study using data linkage
Sharan Ram, Massey University
Antibiotics play a crucial role in treating infections, but their unintended consequences on gut microbiota are increasingly recognised. Disruptions to the gut microbiome-known as dysbiosis may trigger immune system dysregulation, potentially contributing to autoimmune diseases like Type 1 diabetes (T1D).
While several studies have explored the link between antibiotic use and T1D, findings have been inconsistent. Some report a significant, dose-dependent increase in risk, while others find no association. Mixed results may be explained by reliance on self-reported antibiotic-use, small sample sizes, and sometimes short follow-up. Further, most of these studies have been conducted in countries with relatively low antibiotic usage. In contrast, New Zealand ranks among the highest antibiotic users in the OECD, making it a critical setting to investigate this potential public health concern.
I will present findings from a nationwide cohort study conducted as part of my PhD research. This study is the largest and most comprehensive analysis of early-life antibiotic exposure and T1D risk in New Zealand. Using StatsNZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), it tracks all children born in New Zealand 2005–2010, following their health outcomes until 2021.
These findings have significant implications for public health policies, antibiotic prescribing practices, and our understanding of how early-life exposures shape long-term disease risk.
Sharan Ram is a Public Health researcher based at the Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University. He previously served as a Maternal & Child Health Program Officer at UNICEF Multi-Country Office, Suva, Fiji, and as an Operational Researcher / Research Coordinator at Fiji National University (formerly Fiji School of Medicine).
Wednesday 12 March
Developing a Methodology to Measure Persistent Child Poverty using Survey and Admin Data
Ryan Sutcliffe (pictured) and Adam O’Neill, Stats NZ
Stats NZ is required under the Child Poverty Reduction Act to produce estimates of persistent child poverty for the 2025/2026 reporting year. In 2024, we developed an initial methodology for the measurement of persistent child poverty, using a combination of survey and admin data.
This presentation will outline conceptual, methodological, and analytical work done to develop the measure and to produce a series of baseline estimates. The full report is available at https://www.stats.govt.nz/methods/developing-a-methodology-to-measure-persistent-child-poverty-using-survey-and-admin-data for more details.
Ryan Sutcliffe and Adam O’Neill are analysts at Stats NZ, having been there for three and four years, respectively. Ryan is part of the Household Financial Statistics team and has been involved in the production and reporting of child poverty, household income, and housing costs statistics. Adam is part of the Household Collections & Data Integration team, supporting the methodological development of statistics relating to households, including technical work on surveys and admin data.
Wednesday 12 February
Maternity Outcomes During the 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown:
An Aotearoa Population Study
Claire MacDonald, New Zealand College of Midwives
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Aotearoa New Zealand government implemented a stringent seven-week national lockdown, during which time maternity services continued to operate with adaptations to prevent infection transmission. While the lockdown effectively reduced the impact of COVID-19 on mortality and acute hospital services, unanticipated consequences were to be expected. This study aimed to provide the first evaluation of place of birth and birth outcomes associated with the 2020 national lockdown among the general population, and ethnic and socioeconomic subgroups.
The population-based study used interrupted time-series analysis to investigate place of birth (primary outcome), and composite measures of birth interventions and adverse maternal outcomes, and single newborn outcome indicators (secondary outcomes). Equity analyses were undertaken with stratified multi-group models to compare rates between Māori and Pākehā, and women residing in the highest and lowest deprivation quintiles.
During the 2020 national lockdown, the rate of home birth approximately doubled compared with the predicted rate from the previous two years. This was observed in the general population and when stratified by ethnic group. Hospital and primary birthing unit (PBU) birth rates decreased slightly. There was no clear evidence of lockdown-related changes for the general population in any secondary outcomes.
The findings demonstrated that the Aotearoa midwife-led model of care managed a rapid shift in place of birth during lockdown with twice as many women birthing at home, while the hospital maternity service continued to provide pre-exposure levels of scheduled birth interventions. There was no compelling evidence of increased risk to women or babies at a population level. The study was limited by only including mother-baby pairs with singleton, live births. This study contributes to the international literature, which has predominantly only investigated the lockdown impact on hospital births, and provides valuable lessons about maternity care during emergencies for consideration in current and future Aotearoa health reforms.
Claire MacDonald is a Registered Midwife and has a Master of Public Health (epidemiology). She works as a Midwifery Advisor at the New Zealand College of Midwives with portfolios in research, public health, and equity. Her current research interests include refugee and migrant health and emergency responses in maternity. Claire is the co-editor of the New Zealand College of Midwives Journal | Te Hautaka o te Kāreti o ngā Kaiwhakawhānau ki Aotearoa.
