Public Health Reports: Evidence-based public health action
Effective public health action is informed by evidence. The Christchurch Information Team supports public health practice through the provision of best evidence.
The team carries out a range of activities to inform the work of our organisation, the wider health sector, and other partnering organisations, including:
- literature searches
- reviews of best practice and evidence
- evaluation
- questionnaire/instrument development and design
- qualitative and quantitative data analysis
- infectious diseases surveillance
- information systems design, and
- data capture and management.
For more information on the work of the Public Health Analysts or to provide feedback, contact:
Colleen Moore
Ph: +64 3 378 6777
Fax: +64 3 379 6125
Health Impact Assessments
View health impact assessments by Community and Public Health staff.
Position Statements
View the Canterbury DHB’s position statements on health-related issues.
2017 Reports
Evaluation of Community and Public Health’s contribution to the Integrated Assessment of the Waimakariri Residential Red Zone Recovery Plan [908KB PDF]
Date of Publication: February 2017 
The Minister for Earthquake Recovery directed the Waimakariri District Council (WDC) to produce a statutory plan to guide the recovery of the Waimakariri residential red zones in September 2015. The direction required the WDC to carry out an impact assessment as part of the planning process.
WDC requested support from Community and Public Health (C&PH) to perform an integrated assessment. This report evaluates the approach taken by Community and Public Health to assist the Waimakariri District Council with this impact assessment.
Active and public transport infrastructure: a public health perspective [4.41MB PDF]
Date of Publication: May 2016 – revised Feburary 2017
This literature review provides public health unit staff, planners and decision makers with an overview of transport planning principles and a summary of the key infrastructure initiatives (and their application, including retrofitting) that help to provide a safe, healthy and efficient active and public transport network.
2016 Reports
Associations between urban characteristics and non-communicable diseases: Rapid evidence review [1.73MB PDF]
Date of Publication: October 2016
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of health loss in Aotearoa New Zealand, and contribute to significant inequities. There is substantial opportunity for NCD prevention through effective population health interventions, as many of the risk factors for NCDs are modifiable. The physical (natural and built) and social environment are determinants of health with the potential to impact health and equity through influencing behaviour and safety. Creating urban environments that support health will impact a large number of people, given most of our population lives in urban areas.
Evaluation of a well-being campaign following a natural disaster in Christchurch, New Zealand
Date of Publication: August 2016 in the International Journal of Mental Health Promotion
The All Right? campaign was developed as an over-arching mental health promotion campaign following the 2010-2011 earthquake sequence (Christchurch, New Zealand). To our knowledge this campaign is unique in promoting population wide psychosocial well-being following a disaster.
The campaign has achieved a wide reach within the affected population and high levels of agreement from those surveyed who were aware of the campaign that the messages were helpful. Success factors included: strong relationships between key agencies prior to a disaster, local research to inform the use of appropriate language for translating evidence based well-being messages into a local setting, not being marketed as a government message whilst maintaining strong relationships with key agencies.
In addition to the mass appeal of the All Right? campaign, targeted campaigns from the inception would have been beneficial, in particular to reach Māori and Pacific communities. As a result of the evaluation findings, this more specifically focused messaging has been developed.
Evaluation of the adoption and implementation of the Christchurch City Council smokefree social housing policy [2.53Mb PDF]
Date of Publication: April 2016
This process evaluation presents findings on the merit, worth, importance and implementation of the Christchurch City Council’s social housing smokefree policy — to inform the future refinement of the programme and to inform the development and implementation of similar partnership-based (Health in All Policies) initiatives.
Third-hand tobacco smoke exposure and implications for public health: A background paper [683Kb PDF]
Date of Publication: January 2016
The negative health effects of smoking and second-hand smoke (SHS) are well established, however, the concept of third-hand tobacco smoke (THS) is an emerging area of interest in public health.
While, in contrast to active smoking and SHS, THS is invisible, it also leads to involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke products. This background paper provides a brief summary of current evidence relating to THS exposure and its implications for public health.
2015 Reports
Local policies to decrease the availability of sugar-sweetened beverages: A background paper [565Kb PDF]
Date of Publication: November 2015
This background paper provides a very brief summary of current evidence relating to the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and health outcomes, and current district health board (DHB) and local government policies implemented in New Zealand to decrease SSB availability.
Health Promotion in Tertiary Settings: reducing alcohol-related harm [1.80Mb PDF]
Date of Publication: October 2015
There is general agreement that addressing alcohol-related harm within tertiary settings is an important priority – the impact of alcohol-related harm on individual students and on those around them can be significant. The transition to tertiary study can be challenging and may mean that young people are more vulnerable to misusing alcohol.
This review was completed to inform policy and practice.
Evaluation of the Good One party register [1.32Mb PDF]
Date of Publication: September 2015
As part of a Police-led initiative to decrease adverse events resulting from parties in Christchurch, particularly in the Riccarton West area, the Good One party register was set up in February 2014. Good One is a website where anyone can register the details of an upcoming party, which is currently targeted at tertiary students.
This evaluation of the first phase of Good One provides the Working Group with evidence to inform its future planning and the ongoing implementation of the register.
Effectiveness of diet, physical activity and behavioural interventions for weight loss among adults in primary care settings: A review of the literature [2.21Mb PDF]
Date of Publication: June 2015
The purpose of this report is to provide planners and decision makers with a synthesis of best evidence relating to individual-level interventions for weight loss and weight loss management in overweight and obese adult populations.
The investigated interventions are delivered or suitable for delivery in primary care settings or commercial settings.
