Geospatial Research Institute: Theses and Dissertations
Recent Submissions
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The built environment and health: a spatial analysis of type 2 diabetes and childhood weight status in urban New Zealand.
(University of Canterbury, 2019)The built environment is an integral aspect of everyday life. It provides the context in which individual behaviours are set and can affect both individual and population health. It is shaped by distal systematic drivers ... -
Exploring the social and spatial context of adult obesity in Aotearoa New Zealand : a spatial microsimulation approach.
(University of Canterbury, 2017)Obesity rates have risen substantially in recent decades. A large body of research links excess body fat to a variety of health conditions including cardio vascular disease (CVD), certain cancers, and non-insulin-dependent ... -
A geospatial approach to measuring the built environment for active transport, physical activity and health outcomes.
(University of Canterbury, 2016)Active transport and physical activity behaviours are recognised as important determinants of a number of health outcomes, including obesity. Over the last decade, there has been a significant amount of research focused ... -
An exploration of the effects of roads and traffic on mental health in Auckland, New Zealand.
(University of Canterbury, 2016)Mental illness is the third highest cause of poor health in New Zealand, accounting for 11% of the total burden of disease. Like many other chronic illnesses, associations between mental health outcomes and the built and ... -
Geographic variation in exposure to the 2010/11 Canterbury earthquake series and its implications on adverse mental health outcomes.
(University of Canterbury, 2016)Natural hazard disasters often have large area-wide impacts, which can cause adverse stress-related mental health outcomes in exposed populations. As a result, increased treatment-seeking may be observed, which puts a ... -
Assessing the influence of environment and socio-economics on spatial and temporal patterns of COPD hospitalisation in Christchurch : a GIS approach.
(University of Canterbury, 2016)This thesis examines links between environmental conditions and the socio-economic and demographic determinants of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Christchurch, New Zealand. COPD is a progressive condition ... -
Measuring the exposure to obesogenic environments among New Zealand school children.
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2015)The prevalence of obesity has increased greatly in the last 30 years. Intensified urban landscapes have created environments that facilitate rising obesity rates. The level of unhealthy food consumption and physical ... -
Spatial patterns in excess winter morbidity among the elderly in New Zealand
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2015)It has been established in New Zealand and internationally that morbidity and mortality tends to rise during colder winter months, with a typical 10-20% excess compared to the rest of the year. This study sought to investigate ... -
Using a natural experiment to assess the effect of spatial barriers on health service utilization.
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2014)The closure of the Manawatu Gorge in August 2011 caused a change in the travel time for patients living in the eastern area of the MidCentral Health District to their main hospital and health services located in Palmerston ... -
An exploration of the associations between urban natural environments and indicators of mental and physical health.
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2014)Natural environments, namely green and blue spaces, have been found to have positive influences on mental health outcomes globally. As the contribution of poor mental health to the disease burden increases, the mechanisms ... -
Neighbourhood level impact of crime on community health outcomes
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2012)Objectives: Previous research has demonstrated an association between crime, the fear of crime and negative mental and physical health outcomes. The aim of this thesis is to investigate whether there is statistically ... -
The Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Anxiety and Chest Pain Resulting From The Canterbury Earthquakes
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2013)The aim of this thesis was to examine the spatial and the temporal patterns of anxiety and chest pain resulting from the Canterbury, New Zealand earthquaeks. Three research objectives were identified: examine any spatial ... -
Socioeconomic inequalities in adolescent smoking behaviour and neighbourhood access to tobacco products.
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2011)Youth smoking is an important aspect of tobacco research as most adult smokers first experiment with and initiate tobacco use during their adolescence. Policy makers and researchers have given youth smoking issues a ... -
Public Health Service Rationing for Elective Surgery in New Zealand: 2004-2007
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2011)The New Zealand health system is two-tiered with elective treatments are performed by both publicly funded state hospitals and by private hospitals. Publicly funded operations are rationed using a prioritisation system ... -
Examining place influence on alcohol related behaviour and health outcomes in New Zealand.
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2010)Much of the literature on the determinants of health, including alcohol consumption, has focussed on differences in individual socio-economic status as a primary risk factor. However, it has been shown that variation in ... -
The Effect of the Neighbourhood Built Environment on Obesity in Christchurch
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2009)Obesity is becoming a worldwide concern, with more than 300 million individuals who are obese and a further 750 million who are overweight. This increase is important as obesity has been linked to an increased incidence ... -
Examining the environmental justice of sea level rise and storm tides in New Zealand
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2008)Research has established that aspects of the environment are unevenly distributed among social and socioeconomic groups. While an abundance of literature documents environmental inequalities such as toxic sites, air ... -
The health effects of PM₁₀ air pollution in Reefton, South Island New Zealand.
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2009)The aim of this thesis is to assess the health effects of PM₁₀ air pollution in Reefton which is located on the West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Two principle objectives were investigated to achieve the overall ... -
Population mixing and the geographical epidemiology of childhood leukaemia and type 1 diabetes in New Zealand
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2008)Over the past twenty years the incidence of both childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and type 1 diabetes have risen in many developed countries, including New Zealand. Although the explanations for this increase ... -
Mandatory Disease Notification and Underascertainment: A Geographical Perspective
(University of Canterbury. Geography, 2007)Mandatory notification of disease forms the backbone of disease surveillance in New Zealand and overseas. Notification data is used by public health professionals and academics to identify cases requiring public health ...
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