There are a number of modelling research projects being carried out in the Department of Public Health that form the research network, SiHMNet: Simulation Health Modelling Network.
This network follows on from the Burden of Disease Epidemiology, Equity and Cost-Effectiveness Programme (BODE³) that ended in January 2022. This network helps ensure that high quality research studying the health and wider societal gains, costs, cost-effectiveness and equity impacts of preventive health policy and interventions continues in the Department.
Details of these projects, their links and the researchers to contact are included below.
Sustainable diets for Aotearoa New Zealand
This Healthier Lives funded research (2020–2024) aims to identify an optimal diet that keeps New Zealand (NZ) within the safe operating space for greenhouse gas emissions whilst still meeting population dietary requirements at minimised cost. The effects of this healthy, sustainable diet, as well as policies to help New Zealanders move towards this diet, will be modelled to estimate their health effects, impact on ethnic health inequities, environmental impacts and costs. Consultation will take place to identify policies that are considered feasible and acceptable to policy makers and the public, especially Māori, in order to increase the chances of these policies being adopted.
This research will provide policymakers and practitioners with information on how best to improve population diets to maximise net health and environmental co-benefits and to decrease health inequities in New Zealand.
Research contacts
Cristina Cleghorn
Email cristina.cleghorn@otago.ac.nz
Further information
A sustainable diet for health and the climate in Aotearoa New Zealand
Seeking the Transport Sweet Spot: health, equity, and zero carbon
This HRC funded project (2020–2023) explores a range of scenarios for a low-carbon transport system for New Zealand (with particular focus on electric car uptake; a transport system that aims to maximise health in the population; and a transport system that achieves the aspirations of Māori). It will determine the packages of policies needed to implement each scenario (such as policies to promote cycling or increase public transport). Finally, using a macro simulation model it will estimate the transport, economic, health and equity outcomes of each scenario out to 2070.
The results from this research will allow us to compare the health gains or losses across the important health impacts of the transport system (air pollution, injury; physical activity and noise), equity impacts and cost-effectiveness of the different low-carbon transport system scenarios.
Research contacts
Caroline Shaw
Email caroline.shaw@otago.ac.nz
Anja Mizdrak
Email anja.mizdrak@otago.ac.nz
Further information
Seeking the transport sweet spot: health, equity and zero carbon
Using SiHMNet for your project
If you are interested in including modelling or economic evaluation as part of your research projects, contracting our staff or want to know more information about specific areas of modelling, please contact the following researchers:
Prioritising Māori health and equity
Melissa McLeod
Email melissa.mcleod@otago.ac.nz
Anja Mizdrak
Email anja.mizdrak@otago.ac.nz
Dietary intake and sustainable nutrition
Cristina Cleghorn
Email cristina.cleghorn@otago.ac.nz
Physical activity
Anja Mizdrak
Email anja.mizdrak@otago.ac.nz
Sustainable transport
Caroline Shaw
Email caroline.shaw@otago.ac.nz
Anja Mizdrak
Email anja.mizdrak@otago.ac.nz
Tobacco control
Jennifer Summers
Email jennifer.summers@otago.ac.nz