Human Nutrition
Human Nutrition has been taught at Otago for almost a hundred years. In terms of academic staff and students the Department of Human Nutrition is the largest University Department involved in this discipline in Australasia and one of the best known in the Southern Hemisphere. During the past sixteen years it has been responsible for all Dietetic training in New Zealand. Our graduates are to be found in interesting positions in a number of countries throughout the world as well as in leading roles in Australia and New Zealand. Our research programmes extend beyond the shores of New Zealand with staff members involved in research as far afield as Thailand, Ethiopia, Zambia, Mongolia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Netherlands.
The Department has enjoyed international recognition of outstanding leadership and excellence in nutrition research for well over half a century. Our courses continue to receive an exceptionally high rating from past and present students and we aim to ensure that all students continue to receive the quality education for which Otago is famous.
Recent Deposits
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B-vitamin status and homocysteine in older adults in residential aged care facilities in New Zealand: a cross-sectional study
Background: Adequate micronutrient status plays a key role in preventing or delaying the progression of age-related diseases. However, the physiological and psychosocial changes associated with ageing increase the risk of ... -
Calcium intakes and the main food sources of calcium in New Zealand adolescent females
Background: Adolescence is a critical time to be consuming adequate amounts of calcium for bone health. The consequences of inadequate calcium intake include reduced bone mass and increased risk of osteoporosis, a disease ... -
Intakes and main food sources of protein for vegetarian and non-vegetarian adolescent females in New Zealand
Background: Dietary protein is a macronutrient needed for enzyme and hormone synthesis, and creating, maintaining and repairing body tissue. Adolescent females have increased protein requirements to support optimal growth ... -
Magnesium Intake and Its Main Food Sources in 15-18-Year-Old New Zealand Schoolgirls
Background: Magnesium is an essential mineral. Low intakes have been widely found among dietary surveys in many industrialised countries. Magnesium intakes were not reported in the most recent New Zealand Adult Nutrition ... -
Vitamin B12 intake, major food sources and the prevalence of inadequacy in New Zealand Adolescent Females
Background: Vitamin B12 is an essential water soluble vitamin which is found mostly in animal products. It is essential for DNA synthesis and for the optimal development and functioning of the central nervous system. A ... -
Dietary folate intake of female adolescents in New Zealand
Background: Folate plays an important role in DNA synthesis and methylation and thus, dietary inadequacy is of particular concern primarily among reproductive age women. Studies to date show that achieving recommended ... -
Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep in Adolescent Females in New Zealand
Background: Physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyles, obesity, and their associations with numerous adverse health outcomes are arguably the largest health concerns to children and youth. Historically, moderate-to-vigorous ... -
Iodine intakes and the main food sources of iodine in adolescent females aged 15-18 years in New Zealand
Background: Iodine plays an essential role in normal growth and development. Formerly iodine deficiency has been common in New Zealand because of the low levels of iodine in the soil. However, in recent times, the Children’s ... -
Dietary intake and food sources of riboflavin in New Zealand adolescent females
Background: Riboflavin is an important B-vitamin for a range of metabolic and antioxidant processes within the body. Adolescent females are particularly at risk of inadequate riboflavin intake due to traditionally poor ... -
Iodine intakes of vegetarian and non-vegetarian adolescent females
Background: The New Zealand government mandated fortification of bread with iodised salt as a strategy to address the re-emergence of iodine deficiency. Studies conducted since the fortification of bread with iodised salt ... -
Folate intakes of vegetarian and non vegetarian adolescent females
Background: Folate is a water soluble B vitamin found naturally among food sources such as dark green vegetables, legumes, beans and offal such as liver. The synthetic form of folic acid is found in fortified food sources ... -
Intakes and main food sources of calcium for vegetarian and omnivorous New Zealand adolescent females
Background: Calcium is an essential mineral required to assist peak bone mass formation during adolescence. Calcium can only be obtained through the diet and is not widely spread throughout dietary sources with dairy ... -
Zinc intakes and food sources in vegetarian compared to non-vegetarian adolescent females in New Zealand
Background: The number of individuals choosing to follow a vegetarian, or reduced meat, diet is thought to be increasing in high income countries such as New Zealand. Consuming a vegetarian diet with adequate macro- and ... -
Fibre intakes between vegetarian and non-vegetarian adolescent females in New Zealand
Background: The mean fibre intakes for 15-18-year old females from the last national nutrition survey (2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey) was 16.0 grams/day, well below the adequate intake for this age group of ... -
Dietary intake and food sources of protein among adolescent females aged 15-18 years living in New Zealand
Background: Adolescence is a life stage characterised by rapid physical growth and development. These rapid changes increase the requirement for protein and energy (1). Protein has a functional and structural role in the ... -
Comparison of sugar intakes between vegetarian and non-vegetarian adolescent females
Background: Sugar consumption has been associated with an increased risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases. Adolescents are high consumers of sugar in New Zealand (NZ), particularly added sugar. With NZ’s high obesity ... -
Iron intakes and food sources of iron in New Zealand adolescent females
Background: Adolescent females may be at risk of poor iron status even when following a diet that includes iron-rich meat, due to a combination of high requirements for growth, expanding blood volume, and the onset of ... -
Food choice motivations of adolescent females in New Zealand
Describes the food choice motivations of adolescent females in New Zealand. Secondly, examines whether the perceived importance of health in making food choices is related to food intake. -
Vitamin B12 intakes of vegetarian and non-vegetarian adolescent females
Background: The adoption of plant-based diets for reasons of health and sustainability is becoming increasingly popular especially among the younger generation. Indeed, reducing meat consumption has been associated with ... -
Dietary intakes and food sources of dietary fat among vegetarian and non-vegetarian female adolescents in New Zealand.
Background: Adolescents are often exploring how they want to identify within society and this may be represented in the decisions they make surrounding food choices. One pattern of eating called vegetarianism appears to ...