Comparison of percentile tables and algorithm-based calculators for classification of blood pressures in children and adolescents with obesity: A secondary analysis of a clinical trial.

AIM: Obesity as a major risk factor for childhood hypertension necessitates careful blood pressure (BP) monitoring of those affected. This study aimed to compare BP classification in a cohort of children affected by obesity using tables versus digital calculations in two sets of guidelines. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of data collected from a randomised clinical trial of a multidisciplinary life-style assessment and intervention program. Baseline data from 237 children with a body mass index >99th percentile or >91st percentile with weight-related comorbidities and available BP measurements were analysed. We assessed agreement between tables and algorithms in classification of elevated BP/pre-hypertension and hypertension based on the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) clinical practice guidelines (CPG) and the older Fourth Report using Cohen's weighted kappa. The prevalence of hypertensive diagnoses was also compared between the two guidelines. RESULTS: Agreement between BP tables and algorithmic calculation of percentiles was discordant, though improved in the AAP CPG compared to the Fourth Report (Cohen's kappa = 0.70 vs. 0.57, respectively). None (0%) were missed diagnoses, and 59 (24.9%) were false positives for the Fourth Report, and 0 (0%) were missed diagnoses, and 49 (20.9%) were false positives for the AAP CPG. Under the recent guidelines, there was an increase in prevalence of 6.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.5-9.4%; P = 0.0001) for BP ≥90th percentile, and of 3.0% (95% CI 0.4-5.6%; p = 0.016) for hypertension (BP ≥ 95th percentile) in the cohort (18.0% and 6.8%, respectively, increased from 12.0% and 3.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Digital calculators over tables in clinical practice are recommended where possible to improve the accuracy of paediatric BP classification. Substantial rates of elevated BP/Hypertension were found in this cohort of children and adolescents with overweight and obesity.

In safe hands: child health data storage, linkage and consent for use.

While there is potential for societal benefit from linkage and integration of large datasets, there are gaps in our understanding of the implications for children and young people, and limited inclusion of their views within this discourse. We aimed to understand the views and expectations of children, young people and their parents/caregivers in Aotearoa New Zealand regarding child health data storage, linkage and consent for use. This qualitative study included 24 Maori and non-Maori children, young people and their families across five focus groups, recruited from a community-based health service. A mixed Maori and non-Maori research team facilitated participant recruitment and data collection. Child, adolescent and parent/caregiver groups were held separately. Sessions were audio-recorded and the verbatim transcripts were analysed thematically. We identified three themes: (i) I am more than a number: seeing patients as people; (ii) In safe hands: data as power; and (iii) What are your intentions with my data? Consent as an active relationship. A key challenge was the reductive and stigmatizing potential of data integration for minoritised groups. Hypothetical discussions of data sharing and linkage were contingent on trust between the participant and the health professional, with negotiated data ownership. Consent was conceived as an active relationship needing renewal and renegotiation as children reached adulthood. Current consent processes for ongoing use of child data require further deliberation. Without a strong ethical and child rights-based approach to issues of child health data management, consent and linkage, we risk exacerbating health inequities and experiences of breach of trust.

Associations between changes in caregiver's and child's weight status in a community-based obesity intervention programme.

OBJECTIVES: We examined whether caregivers of children/adolescents enroled in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a family-centred intervention indirectly achieved reductions in body mass index (BMI), and if these were associated with changes in their children's BMI. METHODS: RCT participants were New Zealand children/adolescents aged 4.8-16.8 years with BMI ≥ 98th percentile or >91st with weight-related comorbidities. Participants and accompanying caregivers were assessed at baseline, 12, and 24 months. RESULTS: Overall, caregivers' BMI was unchanged at 12 or 24 months. Among Maori participants, reductions in caregivers' BMI at 12 months were associated with reductions in their children's BMI SDS at 12 (r = 0.30; p = 0.038) and 24 months (r = 0.39; p = 0.009). Further, children identifying as Maori whose caregivers' BMI decreased at 12 months had greater BMI SDS reductions at 12 months [-0.30 (95% CI -0.49, -0.10); p = 0.004] and 24 months [-0.39 (95% CI -0.61, -0.16); p = 0.001] than children of caregivers with increased/unchanged BMI. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention programme for children/adolescents with obesity did not indirectly reduce caregiver weight status. However, reductions in caregivers' BMI were key to BMI SDS reductions among Maori participants. Given the intergenerational nature of obesity, our findings highlight the importance of culturally relevant, family-focused programmes to achieve clinically meaningful improvements in weight status across the family.

Improving spatial data in health geographics: a practical approach for testing data to measure children's physical activity and food environments using Google Street View.

BACKGROUND: Geographic information systems (GIS) are often used to examine the association between both physical activity and nutrition environments, and children's health. It is often assumed that geospatial datasets are accurate and complete. Furthermore, GIS datasets regularly lack metadata on the temporal specificity. Data is usually provided 'as is', and therefore may be unsuitable for retrospective or longitudinal studies of health outcomes. In this paper we outline a practical approach to both fill gaps in geospatial datasets, and to test their temporal validity. This approach is applied to both district council and open-source datasets in the Taranaki region of Aotearoa New Zealand. METHODS: We used the 'streetview' python script to download historic Google Street View (GSV) images taken between 2012 and 2016 across specific locations in the Taranaki region. Images were reviewed and relevant features were incorporated into GIS datasets. RESULTS: A total of 5166 coordinates with environmental features missing from council datasets were identified. The temporal validity of 402 (49%) environmental features was able to be confirmed from council dataset considered to be 'complete'. A total of 664 (55%) food outlets were identified and temporally validated. CONCLUSIONS: Our research indicates that geospatial datasets are not always complete or temporally valid. We have outlined an approach to test the sensitivity and specificity of GIS datasets using GSV images. A substantial number of features were identified, highlighting the limitations of many GIS datasets.

Challenges of making healthy lifestyle changes for families in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the current study was to identify challenges of making and sustaining healthy lifestyle changes for families with children/adolescents affected by obesity, who were referred to a multicomponent healthy lifestyle assessment and intervention programme in Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ). DESIGN: Secondary qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews. SETTING: Taranaki region of Aotearoa/NZ. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-eight interviews with parents/caregivers (n 42) of children/adolescents who had previously been referred to a family-focused multidisciplinary programme for childhood obesity intervention, who identified challenges of making healthy lifestyle changes. Participants had varying levels of engagement, including those who declined contact after their referral. RESULTS: Participant-identified challenges included financial cost, impact of the food environment, time pressures, stress, maintaining consistency across households, independence in adolescence, concern for mental health and frustration when not seeing changes in weight status. CONCLUSIONS: Participants recognised a range of factors that contributed towards their ability to make and sustain change, including factors at the wider socio-environmental level beyond their immediate control. Even with the support of a multidisciplinary healthy lifestyle programme, participants found it difficult to make sustained changes within an obesogenic environment. Healthy lifestyle intervention programmes and families' abilities to make and sustain changes require alignment of prevention efforts, focusing on policy changes to improve the food environment and eliminate structural inequities.

Correspondence: systematic reviews do not always capture context of real-world intervention programmes for childhood obesity (response to Littlewood, et al., 2020 in BMC Public Health).

In a recent issue of the BMC Public Health journal, Littlewood et al. described the results of a systematic review of interventions to prevent or treat childhood obesity in Maori or Pacific Island peoples. They found that studies to date have had limited impact on improving health outcomes for Maori and Pacific Island peoples, and suggest this may be due to a lack of co-design principles in the conception of the various studies. Ensuring that interventions are appropriate for groups most affected by obesity is critical; however, some inaccuracies should be noted in the explanation of these findings. There is a risk with systematic reviews that the context of intervention trials is lost without acknowledging the associated body of literature for programmes that refer to the ongoing commitment to communities and groups most affected by obesity.

What affects programme engagement for Maori families? A qualitative study of a family-based, multidisciplinary healthy lifestyle programme for children and adolescents.

AIM: It is important that intervention programmes are accessible and acceptable for groups most affected by excess weight. This study aimed to understand the barriers to and facilitators of engagement for Maori in a community-based, assessment-and-intervention healthy lifestyle programme (Whanau Pakari). METHODS: Sixty-four in-depth, home-based interviews were conducted with past service users. Half of these were with families with Maori children and half with non-Maori families. The interviews were thematically analysed with peer debriefing for validity. RESULTS: Maori families experienced barriers due to racism throughout the health system and society, which then affected their ability to engage with the programme. Key barriers included the institutionalised racism evident through substantial structural barriers and socio-economic challenges, the experience of interpersonal racism and its cumulative impact with weight stigma, and internalised racism and beliefs of biological determinism. Responses to these barriers were distrust of health services, followed by renewed engagement or complete disengagement. Participants identified culturally appropriate care as that which was compassionate, respectful, and focused on relationship building. CONCLUSIONS: While Whanau Pakari is considered appropriate due to the approach of the delivery team, this is insufficient to retain some Maori families who face increased socio-economic and structural barriers. Past instances of weight stigma and racism have enduring effects when re-engaging with future health services, and inequities are likely to persist until these issues are addressed within the health system and wider society.

The cost of investigating weight-related comorbidities in children and adolescents in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

AIM: Expert recommendations for child/adolescent obesity include extensive investigation for weight-related comorbidities, based on body mass index (BMI) percentile cut-offs. This study aimed to estimate the cost of initial investigations for weight-related comorbidities in children/adolescents with obesity, according to international expert guidelines. METHODS: The annual mean cost of investigations for weight-related comorbidities in children/adolescents was calculated from a health-funder perspective using 2019 cost data obtained from three New Zealand District Health Boards. Prevalence data for child/adolescent obesity (aged 2-14 years) were obtained from the New Zealand Health Survey (2017/2018), and prevalence of weight-related comorbidities requiring further investigation were obtained from a previous New Zealand study of a cohort of children with obesity. RESULTS: The cost of initial laboratory screening for weight-related comorbidities per child was NZD 28.36. Based on national prevalence data from 2018/2019 for children with BMI greater than the 98th percentile (obesity cut-off), the total annual cost for initial laboratory screening for weight-related comorbidities in children/adolescents aged 2-14 years with obesity was estimated at NZD 2,665,840. The cost of further investigation in the presence of risk factors was estimated at NZD 2,972,934. CONCLUSIONS: Investigating weight-related comorbidities in New Zealand according to international expert guidelines is resource-intensive. Ways to further determine who warrants investigation with an individualised approach are required.

A Collaborative Indigenous-non-Indigenous Partnership Approach to Understanding Participant Experiences of a Community-Based Healthy Lifestyles Program.

We describe the approach of an Indigenous-non-Indigenous research partnership in the context of a qualitative study which aimed to understand barriers and facilitators to engagement in a community-based healthy lifestyles program in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Informed by Kaupapa Maori research principles and by "Community-Up" research values, this collaborative approach between the mixed Maori-non-Maori research team effectively engaged with Maori and non-Maori families for in-depth interviews on participant experience, including with non-service users. "Community-Up" research principles allowed for a respectful process which upheld the mana (status, dignity) of the interview participants and the research team. Challenges included maintaining flexibility in our conceptions of ethnicity to reflect the complexity of modern family life in Aotearoa/New Zealand. We were committed to ongoing communication, awareness, and attention to the relationships that formed the basis of our research partnership, which allowed effective navigation of challenges and was critical to the study's success.

Neuropathy target esterase impairments cause Oliver-McFarlane and Laurence-Moon syndromes.

BACKGROUND: Oliver-McFarlane syndrome is characterised by trichomegaly, congenital hypopituitarism and retinal degeneration with choroidal atrophy. Laurence-Moon syndrome presents similarly, though with progressive spinocerebellar ataxia and spastic paraplegia and without trichomegaly. Both recessively inherited disorders have no known genetic cause. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing was performed to identify the genetic causes of these disorders. Mutations were functionally validated in zebrafish pnpla6 morphants. Embryonic expression was evaluated via in situ hybridisation in human embryonic sections. Human neurohistopathology was performed to characterise cerebellar degeneration. Enzymatic activities were measured in patient-derived fibroblast cell lines. RESULTS: Eight mutations in six families with Oliver-McFarlane or Laurence-Moon syndrome were identified in the PNPLA6 gene, which encodes neuropathy target esterase (NTE). PNPLA6 expression was found in the developing human eye, pituitary and brain. In zebrafish, the pnpla6 curly-tailed morphant phenotype was fully rescued by wild-type human PNPLA6 mRNA and not by mutation-harbouring mRNAs. NTE enzymatic activity was significantly reduced in fibroblast cells derived from individuals with Oliver-McFarlane syndrome. Intriguingly, adult brain histology from a patient with highly overlapping features of Oliver-McFarlane and Laurence-Moon syndromes revealed extensive cerebellar degeneration and atrophy. CONCLUSIONS: Previously, PNPLA6 mutations have been associated with spastic paraplegia type 39, Gordon-Holmes syndrome and Boucher-Neuhäuser syndromes. Discovery of these additional PNPLA6-opathies further elucidates a spectrum of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders associated with NTE impairment and suggests a unifying mechanism with diagnostic and prognostic importance.

Prevalence of comorbidities in obese New Zealand children and adolescents at enrolment in a community-based obesity programme.

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics at enrolment of children and adolescents referred to an obesity programme and to determine how the prevalence of comorbidities differed in Indigenous versus non-Indigenous children. METHODS: Participants were residents of a semi-rural region of New Zealand (NZ). Eligibility was defined by a body mass index (BMI) of ≥98th percentile or >91st centile with weight-related comorbidities. Fasting blood, medical and physical assessments were obtained. RESULTS: During the recruitment period from January 2012 to August 2014, 239 participants, aged 4.8-16.8 years, undertook assessment. Average BMI standard deviation score was 3.09 (standard deviation (SD) = 0.60, range 1.52-5.34 SD). The majority of participants were of either Maori (NZ's indigenous people (45%)) or NZ European (45%) ethnicity; 29% of participants were from the most deprived quintile of household deprivation. Maori participants were more likely than NZ Europeans to have a mother who smoked during pregnancy (52% vs. 28%, P = 0.001), a family history of type 2 diabetes (66% vs. 53%, P = 0.04), acanthosis nigricans on examination (58% vs. 20%, P < 0.0001), a low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (27% vs. 14%, P = 0.03) or high serum triglyceride (38% vs. 24%, P = 0.03) concentration. CONCLUSION: The unique aspect of this study was the ability to recruit high levels of Maori participants and those from most deprived areas, indicating a high level of acceptability for these target groups. Comorbidities were prevalent in this cohort of overweight/obese school-aged children. While there were some differences in comorbidity prevalence between Maori and NZ Europeans, the overall clinical picture in our cohort, irrespective of ethnicity, was of concern.

Changes in weight status of caregivers of children and adolescents enrolled in a community-based healthy lifestyle programme: Five-year follow-up.

Whanau Pakari is a family-centred healthy lifestyle programme for children/adolescents with overweight/obesity in New Zealand. This secondary analysis from our randomised trial within the clinical service assessed 5-year BMI changes in accompanying caregivers (n = 23), mostly mothers. Overall, baseline and 5-year caregivers' BMI were similar (32.50 vs 31.42 kg/m2, respectively; p = 0.31) but two-thirds (65%) experienced BMI reductions. Five-year BMI change was similar in High-intensity and Low-intensity randomisation groups [-1.37 kg/m2 (-4.95, 2.21); p = 0.44]. Caregiver's BMI change was not associated with child's BMI change. Despite no overall BMI reduction, our findings contrast with upward BMI trajectories predicted for NZ adults with overweight/obesity.

A Multisource Process Evaluation of a Community-Based Healthy Lifestyle Programme for Child and Adolescent Obesity.

Whanau Pakari is a healthy lifestyle assessment and intervention programme for children and adolescents with obesity in Taranaki (Aotearoa/New Zealand), which, in this region, replaced the nationally funded Green Prescription Active Families (GRxAF) programme. We compared national referral rates from the GRxAF programme (age 5-15 years) and the B4 School Check (B4SC, a national preschool health and development assessment) with referral rates in Taranaki from Whanau Pakari. We retrospectively analysed 5 years of clinical data (2010-2015), comparing referral rates before, during, and after the Whanau Pakari clinical trial, which was embedded within the programme. We also surveyed programme referrers and stakeholders about their experiences of Whanau Pakari, analysing their responses using a multiple-methods framework. After the Whanau Pakari trial commenced, Taranaki GRxAF referral rates increased markedly (2.3 pretrial to 7.2 per 1000 person-years), while NZ rates were largely unchanged (1.8-1.9 per 1000 person-years) (p < 0.0001 for differences during the trial). Post-trial, Taranaki GRxAF referral rates remained higher irrespective of ethnicity, being 1.8 to 3.2 times the national rates (p < 0.001). Taranaki B4SC referrals for obesity were nearly complete at 99% in the last trial year and 100% post-trial, compared with national rates threefold lower (31% and 32%, respectively; p < 0.0001), with Taranaki referral rates for extreme obesity sustained at 80% and exceeding national rates for both periods (58% and 62%, respectively; p < 0.01). Notably, a referral was 50% more likely for referrers who attended a Whanau Pakari training half-day (RR = 1.51; p = 0.009). Stakeholders credited the success of Whanau Pakari to its multidisciplinary team, family-centred approach, and home-based assessments. However, they highlighted challenges such as navigating multidisciplinary collaboration, engaging with families with complex needs, and shifting conventional healthcare practices. Given its favourable referral trends and stakeholder endorsement, Whanau Pakari appears to be a viable contemporary model for an accessible and culturally appropriate intervention on a national and potentially international scale.

The need to nurture Aotearoa New Zealand's healthcare workforce.

This commentary examines the ethical significance of recently published research demonstrating the extent to which healthcare workers experienced stress and increased challenges in the workplace due to inadequate access to personal protective equipment (PPE) during the first COVID-19 surge in Aotearoa New Zealand. The inadequate state of New Zealand's PPE stockpile and distribution system at the beginning of the pandemic was a critical signal, a "canary in the coalmine", of broader challenges facing the New Zealand healthcare system, particularly for healthcare worker safety and wellbeing. As New Zealand reforms its health system with the aim of improving access to and equity of care, an opportunity exists to apply critical lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic about the need to prioritise the wellbeing of the healthcare workers we are dependent upon to deliver that care. Failure to apply this new knowledge will see the system similarly unprepared for future public health emergencies, which are likely to be imminent, and potentially with healthcare workers less willing to accept the burdens placed on them. The Nurture Framework, which has emerged from the voices of healthcare workers within this research, should be adopted as part of health reforms and ongoing emergency preparedness planning. Trust, transparency, respect and safety, the four values of the Framework, are fundamental for all workers who contribute their skills, knowledge and time to our healthcare organisations.

End-user acceptability of personal protective equipment disinfection for potential reuse: a survey of health-care workers in Aotearoa New Zealand.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted personal protective equipment (PPE) supply, distribution, and disposal issues worldwide. Calls to conserve PPE stocks and increase supply resulted in the rapid development of potential disinfection methods, with the possibility of improvements in medical waste reduction. However, how receptive health-care workers are to PPE reuse remains unknown. We aimed to examine the views of health-care workers who used PPE during the first COVID-19 wave in Aotearoa New Zealand, in relation to acceptability of PPE disinfection and reuse. METHODS: In this multi-methods survey, health-care workers in New Zealand, were invited via a multimodal recruitment strategy to complete a survey regarding use of PPE during the first COVID-19 wave. Gender question options were male, female, gender diverse, or prefer not to say. Demographic differences in self-reported PPE reuse and acceptability were examined. The survey included closed (single-response, multi-response, ranking, and Likert-scale questions) and open-text questions. Any open-text comments were analysed with thematic analysis. The survey was built and deployed using Qualtrics software. FINDINGS: 1411 health-care workers completed the survey between Oct 7 and Nov 30, 2020. 1397 participants had gender data available (1140 [82%] female and 257 [18%] male) and 995 (74%) of 1347 were of New Zealand European ethnicity. PPE reuse was common and reported by 628 (45%) of the 1411 participants, with 396 (63%) of the 628 reporting reusing PPE multiple times in 1 day. Acceptability of the concept of PPE disinfection for potential reuse was high overall (1196 [85%] of 1411) but varied depending on the type of PPE. Thematic analysis confirmed that PPE reuse was already occurring and respondents recognised the potential benefits of reduced medical wastage and increased PPE supply. Important caveats for consideration included the availability of scientific evidence, level of negotiated risk, and trust in the organisation undertaking PPE disinfection, with clear communication about decontamination processes being crucial to acceptability. INTERPRETATION: PPE reuse occurred frequently during the first wave of COVID-19 in New Zealand. Although support for the disinfection of PPE for reuse was high, the success of any future programmes to reuse PPE will require meaningful engagement and clear communication with health-care workers. Further research into PPE disinfection safety and logistics is warranted, alongside the development of standard operating procedures and clearly communicated policies for the end user, should this more sustainable health-care practice be planned for adoption in certain settings. FUNDING: New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (COVID-19 Innovation Acceleration Fund) and the Medical Assurance Society Foundation.

Inequity in access to continuous glucose monitoring and health outcomes in paediatric diabetes, a case for national continuous glucose monitoring funding: A cross-sectional population study of children with type 1 diabetes in New Zealand.

Background: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) improves glycaemia for people affected by type 1 diabetes (T1D), but is not funded in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This study explores the impact of non-funded CGM on equity of access and associated glycaemic outcomes. Methods: Cross-sectional population-based study collected socio-demographic (age, gender, prioritised ethnicity, socioeconomic status) and clinical data from all regional diabetes centres in New Zealand with children <15 years with T1D as of 1st October 2021. De-identified data were obtained from existing databases or chart review. Outcomes compared socio-demographic characteristics between those using all forms of CGM and self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), and association with HbA1c. Findings: 1209 eligible children were evaluated: 70.2% European, 18.1% Maori, 7.1% Pacific, 4.6% Asian, with even distribution across socioeconomic quintiles. Median HbA1c was 64 mmol/mol (8.0%), 40.2% utilised intermittently scanned (is)CGM, and 27.2% real-time (rt)CGM. CGM utilisation was lowest with Pacific ethnicity (38% lower than Maori) and the most deprived socioeconomic quintiles (quintile 5 vs. 1 adjusted RR 0.69; 95% CI, 0.57 to 0.84). CGM use was associated with regional diabetes centre (P < 0.001). The impact of CGM use on HbA1c differed by ethnicity: Maori children had the greatest difference in HbA1c between SMBG and rtCGM (adjusted difference -15.3 mmol/mol; 95% CI, -21.5 to -9.1), with less pronounced differences seen with other ethnicities. Interpretation: Inequities in CGM use exist based on prioritised ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Importantly, CGM was independently associated with lower HbA1c, suggesting that lack of CGM funding contributes to health disparity in children with T1D. Funding: Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group (APEG), Canterbury Medical Research Foundation, Starship Foundation.

Caregiver survey of preschool children with obesity referred to Whanau Pakari-a multidisciplinary healthy lifestyle intervention programme.

AIM: To examine caregiver perceptions relating to the acceptability of weight screening at New Zealand's B4 School Check (B4SC), and the accessibility and acceptability of a healthy lifestyle programme (Whanau Pakari) for preschool children (Whanau Pakari preschool programme) identified with weight issues. METHOD: An online survey was designed to assess agreement with statements relating to the B4SC healthy weight check and Whanau Pakari programme. Eligible participants (n=125) were caregivers of preschool children identified with obesity (BMI ≥98th centile), or overweight (BMI >91st centile) with weight-related co-morbidities, at the B4SC and referred to Whanau Pakari over the period July 2016 to March 2019. RESULTS: Twenty-nine caregivers responded to the survey (23%). The majority (76%, n=22) were open to discussing their child's weight. However, whilst most caregivers were comfortable receiving a weight referral to a healthy lifestyle programme for their child, some were ambivalent (24%, n=7) or disagreed (21%, n=6) to feeling comfortable about this. Furthermore, only 38% (n=11) of caregivers were concerned about their child's weight. CONCLUSIONS: Findings reveal a reasonable level of acceptability by caregivers to aspects of the B4SC healthy weight check. However, caregiver perceptions may not always be in alignment with the support offered by B4SC health professionals. Regular healthy lifestyle messaging by health professionals, and positive referral experiences, are key to subsequent engagement with healthy lifestyle programmes.

Hydrothermal deconstruction of single-use personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To minimise the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, there has been a substantial increase in the production and usage of synthetic personal protective equipment (PPE) globally. Consequently, single-use PPE have been widely adopted without appropriate regulations for their disposal, leading to extensive environmental contamination worldwide. This study investigates the non-catalytic hydrothermal deconstruction of different PPE items, including isolation gowns, gloves, goggles, face shields, surgical masks, and filtering-facepiece respirators. The selected PPE items were subjected to hydrothermal deconstruction for 90 min in the presence of 30-bar initial oxygen pressure, at temperatures ranging between 250 °C and 350 °C. The solid content in form of total suspended solids (TSS) was reduced up to 97.6%. The total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD) and soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) decreased with increasing deconstruction temperature, and at 350 °C the lowest tCOD and sCOD content of 546.6 mg/L and 470 mg/L, respectively, was achieved. Short-chained volatile fatty acids were produced after 90 min of deconstruction, predominantly acetic acid at concentrations up to 8974 mg/L. Ammonia nitrogen content (NH3-N) of up to 542.6 mg/L was also detected. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and unreacted oxygen (O2) were the main gaseous by-products at up to 15.6% (w/w) and 88.7% (w/w), respectively. The findings suggest that non-catalytic hydrothermal deconstruction is a viable option to process and manage PPE waste.

Mixed-Methods Survey of Healthcare Workers' Experiences of Personal Protective Equipment during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

There have been widespread issues with the supply and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) globally throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, raising considerable public concern. We aimed to understand the experiences of healthcare workers using PPE during the first COVID-19 surge (February-June 2020) in Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ). This study consisted of an online, voluntary, and anonymous survey, distributed nationwide via multimodal recruitment. Reported domains included PPE supply, sourcing and procurement, fit-testing and fit-checking, perceived protection, trust and confidence in the workplace, mental health, and the likelihood of remaining in the profession. Differences according to demographic variables (e.g., profession and workplace) were examined. We undertook a descriptive analysis of responses to open-text questions to provide explanation and context to the quantitative data. The survey was completed in October-November 2020 by 1411 healthcare workers. Reported PPE shortages were common (26.8%) among healthcare workers during surge one in NZ. This led to respondents personally saving both new (31.2%) and used (25.2%) PPE, purchasing their own PPE (28.2%), and engaging in extended wear practices. More respondents in the public system reported being told not to wear PPE by their organisation compared with respondents in the private sector. Relatively low numbers of respondents who were required to undertake aerosol-generating procedures reported being fit-tested annually (3.8%), a legal requirement in NZ. Healthcare workers in NZ reported a concerning level of unsafe PPE practices during surge one, as well as a high prevalence of reported mental health concerns. As NZ and other countries transition from COVID-19 elimination to suppression strategies, healthcare worker safety should be paramount, with clear communication regarding PPE use and supply being a key priority.

"It's more personal if you can have that contact with a person": Qualitative study of health information preferences of parents and caregivers of children with obesity in New Zealand.

The objective of this study was to understand how participants referred to a childhood obesity intervention programme prefer to receive health information, and secondly, to determine acceptability of digital technologies such as a social media platform or IT application for programme engagement. This study includes a subset of interviews (n = 64) of a wider study of the barriers and facilitators of engagement in a multidisciplinary healthy lifestyle programme for childhood obesity, based in Taranaki, Aotearoa/New Zealand. The topics of health information and social media and/or app use were covered in 53 and 30 interviews, respectively. Participants were parents and caregivers of children and adolescents referred to the programme, and interviews were mostly conducted in family homes. Findings showed that participants consulted a range of people, places and resources for information about their health, notably the internet, health professionals, and family and friends. Participants reported using the internet to complement or supplement information from health professionals. A strong relationship with health professionals built on trust was important. Use of digital technologies such as an IT application or social media platform for engagement with the programme was generally acceptable, with the caveat that this did not replace face-to-face communication with their primary care provider. In conclusion, the high usage of digital sources of health information requires accurate and reliable information. Digital technologies such as IT applications or social media platforms may have a role in terms of supplementing the patient journey; however, the importance of in-person communication and an ongoing relationship with a health professional or practice remains paramount.