Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a developmental disability that can cause difficulties with communication, emotional regulation and executive function, making people with FASD vulnerable to adverse involvement within the criminal justice system. Justice professionals' knowledge and attitudes of FASD is critical to identifying appropriate responses, management and sentencing in the justice system. This research aims to understand the FASD knowledge, attitudes and practices among lawyers working in the justice sector in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: To examine the relationship between prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and children's behavioural and emotional development in a large generalizable sample of women and their children in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Methods: Using data from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal cohort, we investigated the relationship between maternal PAE and behavioural and emotional development in 8-year-old children. We explored secondary outcomes including measures of language, executive function, academic achievement, and adaptive behaviour.
Introduction: Tobacco smoking is highly prevalent among alcohol and other drugs (AOD) service clients and, despite interest in quitting, abstinence is rarely sustained. Nicotine products may assist after discharge from residential treatment services, but little is known about client receptivity to them. This study examined AOD withdrawal service clients' experiences of two types of nicotine products for smoking cessation post-discharge, combination nicotine replacement therapy (cNRT) and nicotine vaping products (NVP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe World Health Organisation and many health experts have regarded vaccine nationalism, a "my country first" approach to vaccines procurement, as a critical pandemic response failure. However, few studies have considered public opinion in this regard. This study gauged public support for vaccine nationalism and vaccine internationalism in a representative survey in New Zealand (N = 1,135).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The study aimed to assess potential effects of vaping on individual taste and smell perception in a sample of young adult New Zealanders.
Design: This cross-sectional study measured taste and smell perception using intensity and hedonic ratings to two olfactory (i.e.
Background: Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are handheld electronic vaping devices which produce an aerosol by heating an e-liquid. People who smoke, healthcare providers and regulators want to know if ECs can help people quit smoking, and if they are safe to use for this purpose. This is a review update conducted as part of a living systematic review.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Combining short-acting nicotine replacement therapy with varenicline increases smoking cessation rates compared with varenicline alone, but not all people tolerate these medications or find them helpful. We aim to investigate the therapeutic potential of an analogous combination, by evaluating the effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of combining nicotine salt e-cigarettes with cytisine, compared to nicotine salt e-cigarettes or cytisine only, on smoking abstinence at six months.
Methods: A pragmatic, community-based, investigator-blinded, randomised superiority trial design will be utilised.
Background: Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) aims to replace nicotine from cigarettes. This helps to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, and ease the transition from cigarette smoking to complete abstinence. Although there is high-certainty evidence that NRT is effective for achieving long-term smoking abstinence, it is unclear whether different forms, doses, durations of treatment or timing of use impacts its effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder but may be underrecognized and misunderstood by people who provide health and social support services. The aim of the research is to understand the FASD knowledge, attitudes, and practices among people employed by the social and community sector in New Zealand. We conducted an online survey of people working in the New Zealand social and community sector (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper critically analyses a statement by Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) on e-cigarettes in May 2022 that will be used to guide national policy. We reviewed the evidence and the conclusions drawn in the NHMRC Statement. In our view, the Statement is not a balanced reflection of the benefits and risks of vaping because it exaggerates the risks of vaping and fails to compare them to the far greater risks of smoking; it uncritically accepts evidence of harms from e-cigarettes while adopting a highly sceptical attitude towards evidence of their benefits; it incorrectly claims that the association between adolescent vaping and subsequent smoking is causal; and it understates the evidence of the benefits of e-cigarettes in assisting smokers to quit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are handheld electronic vaping devices which produce an aerosol by heating an e-liquid. Some people who smoke use ECs to stop or reduce smoking, although some organizations, advocacy groups and policymakers have discouraged this, citing lack of evidence of efficacy and safety. People who smoke, healthcare providers and regulators want to know if ECs can help people quit smoking, and if they are safe to use for this purpose.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is one of the most common forms of developmental disability, and yet, anecdotally, is poorly understood by both the public and professionals across health, justice, education, and social services. This review aims to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of professionals who work across a range of sectors - specifically health, education and justice - where they may encounter people with FASD, their families and caregivers.
Method: We conducted a systematic search for research using surveys or questionnaires to address knowledge, and attitudes of professionals in health, education, and justice with regards to FASD between 1990 and 2021.
Background: Prenatal exposure to alcohol (PAE) represents a significant public health concern. Previous research linking PAE to neurodevelopmental outcomes has been mixed and often has limited focus on residual confounding or moderating factors.
Methods: A systematic review of prospective cohort studies ( = >1000) assessing the impact of PAE on neurodevelopmental outcomes was undertaken (neurophysiology, motor skills, cognition, language, academic achievement, memory, attention, executive function, affect regulation, and adaptive behaviour, social skills, or communication).
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the combined disciplines of public health, infectious disease and policy modelling squarely into the spotlight. Never before have decisions regarding public health measures and their impacts been such a topic of international deliberation, from the level of individuals and communities through to global leaders. Nor have models-developed at rapid pace and often in the absence of complete information-ever been so central to the decision-making process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: This study aims to compare biomarkers of potential harm between people switching from smoking combustible cigarettes (CC) completely to electronic cigarettes (EC), continuing to smoke CC, using both EC and CC (dual users) and using neither (abstainers), based on behaviour during EC intervention studies.
Design: Secondary analysis following systematic review, incorporating inverse variance random-effects meta-analysis and effect direction plots.
Setting: This study was conducted in Greece, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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