Our Nutrition and Physical Activity Research

Nutrition

Poor diet, physical inactivity and obesity are leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The Nutrition and Physical Activity Research Programme targets important determinants of these conditions, and focuses on policy and practice-relevant interventions to inform national and international efforts to improve eating habits, increase physical activity, and prevent obesity.

Breakfast in Schools (BISkIT)

A stepped wedge cluster randomised trial providing a free school breakfast

Fit2Quit: Exercise to Enhance Smoking Cessation Outcomes

A randomised controlled trial to examine the effect of a home and community-based exercise intervention on increasing smoking cessation rates when added to usual care (smoking cessation support delivered by Quitline + nicotine replacement therapy; NRT).

HEART: Heart, Exercise and Remote Technologies

Efficacy of a mobile (phone and internet) -health exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programme.

Horizon: New horizons for weight loss using mobile technologies

The Horizon study aims to develop and pre-test a mobile health (mobile phone and internet-delivered-mHealth) weight management programme

NUTRITRACK: Reformulation of processed foods to promote health

Identifying opportunities for healthier reformulation of processed foods to reduce nutrition-related disease in New Zealand

PACMAN: Physical Activity in Children: MARCA ValidatioN

Validation of a physical activity questionnaire for New Zealand children and young people.

PANAMA – Physical Activity & Nutrition: Advancing Measurement & Impact Assessment

The PANAMA project focuses on exploiting new technologies to measure diet and physical activity, and quantifying the impact of changes to nutrition and exercise levels on population health.

PICTuRE: Passive Image Capture to Record Everyday Events

Feasibility and validity of SenseCam-assisted dietary assessment to reduce under-reporting of energy intake<--break- />

PLATE – Portions: Looking At The Evidence

Determining typical food portion sizes for New Zealand children and adults using data from two national nutrition surveys

SPEND: Strategic Pricing: Effects on Nutrition & Disease

Estimating effects of targeted food taxes and subsidies on population diet, health, and burden of disease

SWITCH: Screen-time Weight Loss Intervention Targeting Children at Home

A randomised controlled trial to determine the effect of an intervention to reduce screen-based sedentary behaviour on body composition, sedentary behaviour, physical activity and nutrition in New Zealand children.

The Virtual Supermarket: a three-dimensional software tool to study interventions in the retail environment as strategies to improve population diets.

The New Zealand virtual supermarket offers a three-dimensional web-based supermarket in the image of a real supermarket to undertake experiments on the effects of interventions such as food labelling and changes in food pricing on consumer food purchases.

Position Statements

Nutrition and Physical Activity already completed by NIHI

CADET: Cellphone Assisted Diet and Exercise Trial

Feasibility study of a novel weight control intervention for New Zealand

Clinical Guidelines for Weight Management in New Zealand Adults, Children and Young People

Clinical Guidelines for Weight Management in New Zealand Adults, Children and Young People provide updated evidence-based guidance for health care workers in primary care and the community to help with weight loss.

ECHO: Chitosan and Weight Loss Study - effect of dietary supplement, Chitosan, on body weight

A randomised, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the effect of the dietary supplement, Chitosan, on body weight

eGAME: Active Video Games to Improve Body Composition and Physical Activity in Children Intervention

Active Video Games to Improve Body Composition and Physical Activity in Children

eGAME: Electronic Games to Aid Motivation to Exercise - Pilot

A pilot study to test the feasibility of a large randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of active video games to increase physical activity and decrease body mass in children

Enhancing Food Security and Physical Activity
Multi-method research to identify and prioritise key environmental factors that influence food security and physical activity amongst Maori, Pacific, and low-income families in New Zealand.
Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children and Young People: A Background Paper

This review will update and combine two background papers to produce the draft Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children and Young People: A background paper

 

GPS Validation Study

Validation of GPS technology as a measure of physical activity

GRxAF Evaluation: Evaluation of the Green Prescription Active Families Programme
Evaluation of the Green Prescription Active Families Programme
HeaVen : Healthier Vending project

Evaluation of the effect of healthier choice guidelines on the nutrient profile and sales of vending machine snacks

ICAN: Influences on Children's Activity and Nutrition

To examine the environmental influences on children’s physical activity and behaviour nutrition

Mission-On National Survey

Mission-On National Survey - A National Survey of Children and Young Peoples Physical Activity and Dietary Behaviours in New Zealand

Nutrition Labelling Review

Research on the use and understanding of nutrition labels in New Zealand

Nutrition Labelling Survey

Research on the use and understanding of nutrition labels by Maori, Pacific, Asian and low-income shoppers

SHOP: Supermarket Healthy Options Project - Intervention Trial

A randomised, controlled supermarket intervention trial

SHOP: Supermarket Healthy Options Project - Pilot

A pilot study to assess the feasibility of a large randomised controlled trial of the effects of price discounts and nutrition education on supermarket food purchases

SIGNS: SIGnposting Nutrition Study

A feasibility study that aims to assess the use of front-of-pack traffic light labels to signpost food choices in supermarkets

Sleep Pilot Study

A randomised controlled trial to determine the feasibility and efficacy of a classroom-based sleep education programme for adolescents.

Television Watching

Feasibility study of an intervention to decrease television watching in children