Skip to main content

    Simon Kingham

    This research focuses on the ability of spatial decision-support tools (SDST) to transform urban regeneration processes through collaborative planning between authorities and communities. This article presents what was learned from the... more
    This research focuses on the ability of spatial decision-support tools (SDST) to transform urban regeneration processes through collaborative planning between authorities and communities. This article presents what was learned from the implementation of two SDST within planning authorities in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The first tool, Envision, enables the identification of suitable areas for urban regeneration; the second, ESP, focuses on the environmental and socio-economic assessment of regeneration scenarios at the neighbourhood scale. We use empirical observations from the implementation of these SDST in diverse planning authorities, to analyse the influence of local specificities and appropriate collaboration models for the development and adoption of the tools for decision-making and community engagement. We provide recommendations for future development and implementation of SDST to reinforce collaborative planning and local governance within urban regeneration processes.
    Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a progressive lung disease affecting the respiratory function of every sixth New Zealander and over 300 million people worldwide. In this paper, we explored how the combination of social,... more
    Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a progressive lung disease affecting the respiratory function of every sixth New Zealander and over 300 million people worldwide. In this paper, we explored how the combination of social, demographical and environmental conditions (represented by increased winter air pollution) affected hospital admissions due to COPD in an urban area of Christchurch (NZ). We juxtaposed the hospitalisation data with dynamic air pollution data and census data to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of hospital admissions. Spatial analysis identified high-risk health hot spots both overall and season specific, exhibiting higher rates in winter months not solely due to air pollution, but rather as a result of its combination with other factors that initiate deterioration of breathing, increasing impairments and lead to the hospitalisation of COPD patients. From this we found that socioeconomic deprivation and air pollution, followed by the age and ethnicity s...
    Telephone triage is a health tool increasingly used to connect geographically distant populations. Such services are also utilised to address issues of Emergency Department (ED) overuse. New Zealand's tele-triage service, Healthline,... more
    Telephone triage is a health tool increasingly used to connect geographically distant populations. Such services are also utilised to address issues of Emergency Department (ED) overuse. New Zealand's tele-triage service, Healthline, has existed since 2001 but is yet to be the focus of analysis. This research sought to understand the role that travel time to ED had upon Healthline users' compliance with telephone advice. Additionally, the role of deprivation in Healthline (as a determinant of caller behaviour) was examined. Travel time to ED was found to influence the impact of Healthline advice upon callers but this was not confounded by deprivation. Those living closest to the ED were more likely to attend when advised to, and less likely to stay away if told to avoid the ED. Different time brackets showed stronger trends, suggesting that callers at varying distances from EDs may be more or less influenced by both travel time and Healthline advice.
    This article explores the spatio-temporal variation of mood and anxiety treatments in the context of a severe earthquake sequence. The aim was to examine a possible earthquake exposure effect, identify populations at risk and areas with... more
    This article explores the spatio-temporal variation of mood and anxiety treatments in the context of a severe earthquake sequence. The aim was to examine a possible earthquake exposure effect, identify populations at risk and areas with particularly large mood and anxiety treatment rate increases or decreases in the affected Christchurch urban area. A significantly stronger increase of mood and anxiety treatments among residents in Christchurch compared to others in New Zealand have been found, as well as children and elderly identified as especially vulnerable. Spatio-temporal cluster analysis and Bayesian spatio-temporal modelling revealed little changes in mood and anxiety treatment patterns for most parts of the city, whereas areas in the less affected north and northwest showed the strongest increases in risk. This effect may be linked to inner-city mobility activity as a consequence of the earthquakes, but also different levels of community cohesion after the disaster, which merit further research.
    Since 2012, all community care recipients in New Zealand have undergone a standardised needs assessment using the Home Care International Residential Assessment Instrument (interRAI-HC). This study describes the national interRAI-HC... more
    Since 2012, all community care recipients in New Zealand have undergone a standardised needs assessment using the Home Care International Residential Assessment Instrument (interRAI-HC). This study describes the national interRAI-HC population, assesses its data quality and evaluates its ability to be matched. The interRAI-HC instrument elicits information on 236 questions over 20 domains; conducted by 1,800+ trained health professionals. Assessments between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2014 are reported here. Stratified by age, demographic characteristics were compared to 2013 Census estimates and selected health profiles described. Deterministic matching to the Ministry of Health's mortality database was undertaken. Overall, 51,232 interRAI-HC assessments were conducted, with 47,714 (93.1%) research consent from 47,236 unique individuals; including 2,675 Māori and 1,609 Pacific people. Apart from height and weight, data validity and reliability were high. A 99.8% match to mortality...
    ABSTRACT Background: As urbanization escalates globally, urban neighbourhood features which improve physical and, more recently, mental health are of growing importance. One area of exploration is the role of visibility of green/blue... more
    ABSTRACT Background: As urbanization escalates globally, urban neighbourhood features which improve physical and, more recently, mental health are of growing importance. One area of exploration is the role of visibility of green/blue space. Objective: To quantify visual exposure to green/blue space using novel spatial methodologies and to investigate whether visibility was associated with psychological stress (K-10) in a national adult sample. Methods: Novel visibility measurements were created for blue/green space to account for the distance, slope, aspect and relative elevation of visible areas from each population-weighted neighbourhood viewpoint. We fitted separate cluster robust linear regression models for K-10 scores and visibility measures, adjusted for age, sex, personal income, and neighbourhood population density, crime and deprivation. Results: We did not detect a significant association between total green space visibility and K-10 scores. By distance bands, we found that green space visibility only at distances 3-6km and 6-15km were associated with decreased psychological stress (β = -21, p = 0.01 and β = -0.15, p = 0.06). For blue space, we found increased visibility was associated with decreased psychological stress (β = -0.32, p <0.001). Personal income (in all models), neighbourhood deprivation and population density (in several models) also exhibited significant independent effects on K-10 scores. Conclusion: These results suggest that increased visibility of blue space generally and of distant green space have a salutogenic effect and may play a role in psychological stress reduction.
    As urbanisation escalates globally, urban neighbourhood features which may improve physical and mental health are of growing importance. Using a cross-sectional survey of adults and the application of novel geospatial techniques, this... more
    As urbanisation escalates globally, urban neighbourhood features which may improve physical and mental health are of growing importance. Using a cross-sectional survey of adults and the application of novel geospatial techniques, this study investigated whether increased visibility of nature (green and blue space) was associated with lower psychological distress (K10 scores), in the capital city of Wellington, New Zealand. To validate, we also tested whether visibility of blue space was associated missing teeth in the same sample. Cluster robust, linear regression models were fitted to test the association between visibility of nature and K10 scores, adjusted for age, sex, personal income, neighbourhood population density, housing quality, crime and deprivation. Higher levels of blue space visibility were associated with lower psychological distress (β=-0.28, p<0.001). Importantly, blue space visibility was not significantly associated with tooth loss. Further research is needed ...
    Climate change is a global threat to health and wellbeing. Here we provide findings of an international research project investigating the health and wellbeing impacts of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in urban environments.... more
    Climate change is a global threat to health and wellbeing. Here we provide findings of an international research project investigating the health and wellbeing impacts of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in urban environments. Five European and two Chinese city authorities and partner academic organisations formed the project consortium. The methodology involved modelling the impact of adopted urban climate-change mitigation transport, buildings and energy policy scenarios, usually for the year 2020 and comparing them with business as usual (BAU) scenarios (where policies had not been adopted). Carbon dioxide emissions, health impacting exposures (air pollution, noise and physical activity), health (cardiovascular, respiratory, cancer and leukaemia) and wellbeing (including noise related wellbeing, overall wellbeing, economic wellbeing and inequalities) were modelled. The scenarios were developed from corresponding known levels in 2010 and pre-existing exposure response f...
    ABSTRACT The determinants of health and mortality inequalities in New Zealand and Australia have been subjected to research, with the influence of a range of socio-economic and demographic influences (deprivation, social class, ethnicity)... more
    ABSTRACT The determinants of health and mortality inequalities in New Zealand and Australia have been subjected to research, with the influence of a range of socio-economic and demographic influences (deprivation, social class, ethnicity) receiving notable attention. Both countries are considered privileged, positioned amongst the world leaders in rankings of mortality and life expectancy. This paper reports on observed rates of mortality and views how the countries have fared over time with respect to one another. This study derives comparable rates of mortality for both New Zealand and Australia, disaggregated by age and sex for the time period 1948-2008. The age-standardised rates are visualised using the Lexis mapping software program, showing the relative differences between the countries over time whilst simultaneously highlighting age, period and cohort effects. Relative to Australia, New Zealand had advantageous rates of mortality across almost all age groups between the years 1948 and 1980 (approximately). For both sexes, a reversal of fortunes in New Zealand has followed relative to Australia. For example, for younger males in New Zealand, the reversal is apparent. Over the period observed males aged 10-20 in New Zealand have moved from an advantageous position of having a mortality rate 20% lower than Australia to a relative position of 50% higher. The social and economic forces in both New Zealand and Australia which may have driven the divergence require further scrutiny. It could be argued, that one key element changing relative mortality fortunes are processes of selective migration and the large-scale population movements between the two countries as well as broader economic factors. These findings have important implications for policy formation and service planning, if the inequality in mortality is to be addressed.
    In this longitudinal study, we compare the effects of different types of relocation and level of affectedness on the incidence and relapse of mood and anxiety symptom treatments identified by publicly funded care or treatment one year... more
    In this longitudinal study, we compare the effects of different types of relocation and level of affectedness on the incidence and relapse of mood and anxiety symptom treatments identified by publicly funded care or treatment one year before and one and two years after the '2011 Christchurch earthquake' in New Zealand. Based on a subset of Christchurch residents from differently affected areas of the city identified by area-wide geotechnical land assessments (no to severe land damage) 'stayers', 'within-city movers', 'out-of-city movers' and 'returners' were identified to assess the interaction effect of different levels of affectedness and relocation on the incidence and relapse of mood and anxiety symptom treatments over time. Health and sample information were drawn from the New Zealand Ministry of…
    ABSTRACT Monitoring of air quality alongside heavily-trafficked motorways has shown air pollutant levels are typically much higher than levels at background monitoring sites. In many large cities, a significant portion of the population... more
    ABSTRACT Monitoring of air quality alongside heavily-trafficked motorways has shown air pollutant levels are typically much higher than levels at background monitoring sites. In many large cities, a significant portion of the population resides on land immediately adjacent to motorways. For long-term residents, this has been associated with adverse health outcomes. However, generalizing the impact of major roads on nearby air quality is complicated by local influences such as wind climate, topography and vehicle fleet emission rates. This study aimed to quantify and explain differences in pollutant levels at two roadside and several associated setback sites in Auckland, New Zealand. Levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) were monitored over the 2010 and 2011 autumn-winter transition (April - July), around two urban motorways roughly 5 km apart. Limited monitoring of ultrafine particles (UFP) was also conducted at two sites. Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) was 33% greater at the primary study site (122,098) than at the secondary site (81,075). Unmonitored ultrafine particle (UFP) concentrations were modeled from NOx data using linear regression (R2>0.75). Missing CO data was predicted using nitric oxide (NO) concentrations (R2=0.93). Dispersion modeling was performed using The Air Pollution Model (TAPM) in order to assess the influence of meteorology on pollutant decay. Results show that, for both study sites, mean levels of NOx and UFPs were elevated by 41 - 52% at the roadside compared to setback sites as close as 134 m downwind. CO concentrations were elevated by 44 - 64%. Mean roadside UFP, NOx and CO at the busier study area was 25,672 pt/cm3, 128.6 µg/m3 and 1.1 ppm, respectively; higher than the lesser trafficked area by 43% (UFP, NOx) and 56% (CO). Overall results suggest that outdoor exposure along the roadside corridor is approximately 50% greater than for those living at setback distances. As New Zealand homes are particularly prone to infiltration of outdoor air, these results may have significant long-term exposure implications.
    Breath testing has potential for the rapid assessment of the source and impact of exposure to air pollutants. During the development of a breath test for acetonitrile using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) raised... more
    Breath testing has potential for the rapid assessment of the source and impact of exposure to air pollutants. During the development of a breath test for acetonitrile using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) raised acetonitrile concentrations in the breath of volunteers were observed that could not be explained by known sources of exposure. Workplace/laboratory exposure to acetonitrile was proposed since this was common to the volunteers with increased breath concentrations. SIFT-MS measurements of acetonitrile in breath and air were used to confirm that an academic chemistry laboratory was the source of exposure to acetonitrile, and quantify the changes that occurred to exhaled acetonitrile after exposure. High concentrations of acetonitrile were detected in the air of the chemistry laboratory. However, concentrations in the offices were not significantly different across the campus. There was a significant difference in the exhaled acetonitrile concentrations of people who worked in the chemistry laboratories (exposed) and those who did not (non-exposed). SIFT-MS testing of air and breath made it possible to determine that occupational exposure to acetonitrile in the chemistry laboratory was the cause of increased exhaled acetonitrile. Additionally, the sensitivity was adequate to measure the changes to exhaled amounts and found that breath concentrations increased quickly with short exposure and remained increased even after periods of non-exposure. There is potential to add acetonitrile to a suite of VOCs to investigate source and impact of poor air quality.
    A good understanding of current transport cultures is vital if we are to develop stronger and more vibrant cycling cultures in future. Transport cultures include shared images and stereotypes of different kinds of transport and of their... more
    A good understanding of current transport cultures is vital if we are to develop stronger and more vibrant cycling cultures in future. Transport cultures include shared images and stereotypes of different kinds of transport and of their users. For example, drivers of flash cars may be associated with images of wealth and success, motorbikers with masculinity, and cyclists with environmentalism and moral citizenship. There is some evidence to suggest that these kinds of images influence people’s transport choices, however, there has been little related research. This presentation will focus on how images of cycling, and of other kinds of transport, influence whether individuals choose to cycle. Particularly it will consider the different perspectives of those who currently do cycle, those who might be encouraged to do so, and those who currently say ‘no way’. When the members of these groups think of what it means to be a cyclist, do they think of the artsy, alternative hippy? The ar...
    ... A similar approach but examining hospital admissions calculated that there is a 3.4% increase in respiratory hospital admissions and a 1.3% rise in cardiac admissions for each interquartile rise in PM 10 concentrations (interquartile... more
    ... A similar approach but examining hospital admissions calculated that there is a 3.4% increase in respiratory hospital admissions and a 1.3% rise in cardiac admissions for each interquartile rise in PM 10 concentrations (interquartile value 14.8 μg m −3 ) (McGowan et al., 2002). ...
    Research Interests:
    The determinants of health and mortality inequalities in New Zealand and Australia have been subjected to research, with the influence of a range of socio-economic and demographic influences (deprivation, social class, ethnicity)... more
    The determinants of health and mortality inequalities in New Zealand and Australia have been subjected to research, with the influence of a range of socio-economic and demographic influences (deprivation, social class, ethnicity) receiving notable attention. Both countries are considered privileged, positioned amongst the world leaders in rankings of mortality and life expectancy. This paper reports on observed rates of mortality and views how the countries have fared over time with respect to one another. This study derives comparable rates of mortality for both New Zealand and Australia, disaggregated by age and sex for the time period 1948-2008. The age-standardised rates are visualised using the Lexis mapping software program, showing the relative differences between the countries over time whilst simultaneously highlighting age, period and cohort effects. Relative to Australia, New Zealand had advantageous rates of mortality across almost all age groups between the years 1948 a...
    This study investigated variations in perceptions of air quality as a function of residential proximity to busy highways, across two suburbs of South Auckland, New Zealand. While plenty is known about the spatial gradients of highway... more
    This study investigated variations in perceptions of air quality as a function of residential proximity to busy highways, across two suburbs of South Auckland, New Zealand. While plenty is known about the spatial gradients of highway emissions, very little is known about variation of lay understanding at the fine spatial scale and whether there are gradients in severity of concerns. One-hundred and four near-highway residents agreed to participate in a semi-structured interview on their knowledge and attitudes towards highway traffic emissions. Proximity to the highway edge varied within 5-380 m at the predominantly downwind side of the highway and 13-483 m at the upwind side. Likert-type ordered response questions were analysed using multivariate regression. Inverse linear relationships were identified for distance from highway and measures of concern for health impacts, as well as for noise (p<0.05). Positive linear relationships were identified for distance from highway and ra...
    Studies of health effects of air pollution exposure are limited by inability to accurately determine dose and exposure of air pollution in field trials. We explored the feasibility of using a mobile selected ion flow tube mass... more
    Studies of health effects of air pollution exposure are limited by inability to accurately determine dose and exposure of air pollution in field trials. We explored the feasibility of using a mobile selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) device, housed in a van, to determine ambient air and breath levels of benzene, xylene and toluene following exercise in areas of high motor vehicle traffic. The breath toluene, xylene and benzene concentration of healthy subjects were measured before and after exercising close to a busy road. The concentration of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), in ambient air were also analysed in real time. Exercise close to traffic pollution is associated with a two-fold increase in breath VOCs (benzene, xylene and toluene) with levels returning to baseline within 20 min. This effect is not seen when exercising away from traffic pollution sources. Situating the testing device 50 m from the road reduced any confounding due to VOCs in the inspire...
    Geographical inequalities in health are omnipresent with health and related behaviours typically worse in socioeconomically deprived places. However, this is not always true. Deprived places with unexpectedly good health outcomes, or what... more
    Geographical inequalities in health are omnipresent with health and related behaviours typically worse in socioeconomically deprived places. However, this is not always true. Deprived places with unexpectedly good health outcomes, or what might be considered 'resilient' places, have been noted. Few studies have quantitatively examined resilience in neighbourhoods or investigated potential explanations for this resilience. This paper examines the paradox of low mortality despite high social deprivation in New Zealand neighbourhoods and considers possible neighbourhood characteristics that contribute to unanticipated positive health outcomes. Using area-level mortality (2005-2007) and socioeconomic data, we developed the Resilience Index New Zealand to quantify neighbourhood levels of resilience across the country. We then examined relationships between this measure and a suite of built, physical and social characteristics. We found that resilient places tended to be densely p...
    Purpose – The extent to which research into the design and development of environmental health indicators (EHIs) has translated into operational programmes is unclear. The purpose of this paper is to identify EHI initiatives worldwide,... more
    Purpose – The extent to which research into the design and development of environmental health indicators (EHIs) has translated into operational programmes is unclear. The purpose of this paper is to identify EHI initiatives worldwide, distil the EHIs and draw lessons from the experience. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic internet-based review was undertaken. Programmes were selected for inclusion if they: first, had the ability to monitor both the physical environment and associated health outcomes; and second, the parent agency had the ability to influence policies related to the environment and health. Findings – The small number of eligible programmes indicates EHI initiatives are not yet well established, especially in developing countries. The use of indicators was also limited by uncertainties in the exposure-response relationships that they implied, and the consequent inability to translate the indicators into a common measure of health impact. In addition, there is...
    The prevalence of adult obesity is escalating in most wealthy and middle income countries. Due to the magnitude of this issue, research and interventions at the individual-level abound. However, the limited success and high costs of such... more
    The prevalence of adult obesity is escalating in most wealthy and middle income countries. Due to the magnitude of this issue, research and interventions at the individual-level abound. However, the limited success and high costs of such interventions has led to a growing recognition of the potential role of environmental factors in reducing obesity and promoting physical activity and healthy diets. This study utilised individual-level data from the 2006/7 New Zealand Health Survey on obesity, physical activity, diet and socio-economic variables linked to geographic information from other sources on potentially aetiologically-relevant environmental factors, based on the respondent's residential address. We fitted logistic regression models for eight binary measures of weight or weight-related behaviours: 1) overweight; 2) obesity; 3) overweight + obesity; 4) active at least 30 minutes a day for 5+ days per week; 5) active <30 minutes per week; 6) walk 150 minutes + per week; ...
    ABSTRACT Background: As urbanization escalates globally, urban neighbourhood features which improve physical and, more recently, mental health are of growing importance. One area of exploration is the role of visibility of green/blue... more
    ABSTRACT Background: As urbanization escalates globally, urban neighbourhood features which improve physical and, more recently, mental health are of growing importance. One area of exploration is the role of visibility of green/blue space. Objective: To quantify visual exposure to green/blue space using novel spatial methodologies and to investigate whether visibility was associated with psychological stress (K-10) in a national adult sample. Methods: Novel visibility measurements were created for blue/green space to account for the distance, slope, aspect and relative elevation of visible areas from each population-weighted neighbourhood viewpoint. We fitted separate cluster robust linear regression models for K-10 scores and visibility measures, adjusted for age, sex, personal income, and neighbourhood population density, crime and deprivation. Results: We did not detect a significant association between total green space visibility and K-10 scores. By distance bands, we found that green space visibility only at distances 3-6km and 6-15km were associated with decreased psychological stress (β = -21, p = 0.01 and β = -0.15, p = 0.06). For blue space, we found increased visibility was associated with decreased psychological stress (β = -0.32, p <0.001). Personal income (in all models), neighbourhood deprivation and population density (in several models) also exhibited significant independent effects on K-10 scores. Conclusion: These results suggest that increased visibility of blue space generally and of distant green space have a salutogenic effect and may play a role in psychological stress reduction.
    This paper outlines the development of a method for using Kernel Estimation cluster analysis techniques to automatically identify road traffic accident 'black spots' and 'black areas'. Christchurch, New Zealand, was... more
    This paper outlines the development of a method for using Kernel Estimation cluster analysis techniques to automatically identify road traffic accident 'black spots' and 'black areas'. Christchurch, New Zealand, was selected as the study area and data from the LTNZ crash database used to trial the technique. A GIS and Python scripting was used to implement the solution, combining spatial data for average traffic flows with the recorded accident locations. Kernel Estimation was able to quickly identify the accident clusters, and when used in conjunction with Monte Carlo simulation techniques, was able to identify statistically significant clusters.
    Research Interests:
    Research Interests:

    And 97 more