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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Hepcidin and Iron Deficiency: Novel Findings for Elite Female Rugby Sevens Players
Iron deficiency (ID), measured via serum ferritin (SF), is a common issue for female athletes due to inadequate dietary iron intakes, menstruation and exercise-induced iron losses. Elite female rugby sevens players are no ... -
Adequacy of micronutrient intakes and status of breastfed Indonesian infants fed traditional complementary foods in Sumedang district, West Java: a longitudinal study
Stunting among under-five children in Indonesia is common, raising public health concerns. Inappropriate complementary feeding (CF) practices may compromise optimal growth during late infancy in Indonesia. Hence, it is not ... -
Natural antioxidants and susceptibility of low density lipoproteins to oxidation
In patients with diabetes mellitus, increased oxidative stress may contribute to low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and elevated levels of circulating products of inflammation. A randomised, placebo-controlled study ... -
Food security in New Zealand
There was growing concern in New Zealand in the 1990's that Food Security: access by all people at all times to enough food for an active healthy life, was not being achieved, despite an abundant food supply. A study of a ... -
Food Literacy in New Zealand School Children
Background: Food literacy is the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours needed to have a diet that is environmentally sustainable and conducive to health. Childhood represents a critical period in which dietary ... -
What monitoring strategies are most successful for promoting weight loss? A randomised controlled trial
Objectives: While tracking progress is one of the strongest predictors of success in healthy eating and physical activity interventions, it is uncertain whether it matters which behavior (diet, activity or weight) is being ... -
Perceptions and acceptability of Low Carbohydrate, High Fat (LCHF) diets among Māori whānau in Dunedin
OBJECTIVE: Low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diets are currently much debated in both the media and the academic literature. However, little is known about the acceptability of these diets among Māori, who commonly consume ... -
Information Package for Users of the New Zealand Estimated Food Costs 2018
Since the 1970s, the Department of Human Nutrition (previously Home Science Extension with the School of Home Science) at the University of Otago has conducted an annual Food Cost Survey. The Food Cost Survey is based on ... -
A quantitative and qualitative study of retail food waste in New Zealand
Background: With an estimated one-third of the global food supply going to waste, it is crucial that the quantity of wasted food is reduced. Target 12.3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals aims to halve per ... -
Intuitive eating and food Intake: A nationwide study of New Zealand middle-aged women
Background: Intuitive eating (IE) is a non-dieting approach that is characterised by eating desired foods, in accordance with hunger and satiety cues, and in the absence of emotional distress or triggers. IE has been ... -
The nutritional status of young Indian children living in the slums of South Delhi, India: a cross-sectional study
India suffers a significant proportion of the global burden of childhood stunting and the prevalence of anaemia is a severe public health concern (i.e., > 40%). However, there is a lack of detailed information in India on ... -
Glycaemic Response and Satiety
Background: New Zealand has one of the highest rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases in the world. Claims have suggested that a low glycaemic index diet will curb cravings to overeat by keeping you feeling fuller ... -
The short-term effects of the COOK intervention on cooking skills and self-efficacy for cooking in New Zealand adolescents
Background: Consumption of convenience foods is one factor that is potentially contributing to the high rates of obesity in New Zealand adolescents. The increased availability of these convenience foods now means that ... -
A Taste for Consumption: Food Waste Generation in New Zealand Cafés and Restaurants
Globally, approximately one-third (1.3 billion tons) of all food produced for human consumption each year ends up wasted throughout the food supply chain. This food waste has social, environmental and economic impacts which ... -
The Effect of Soaking Almonds and Hazelnuts on Phytate and Mineral Concentrations
Background: Nuts are important sources of macronutrients, in particular cis-unsaturated fats; micronutrients; and phytonutrients, which are all important components of a cardioprotective diet. However, one phytonutrient, ... -
Association between Carbon Stable Isotope Ratios in RBCs and Free Sugars intake estimated by a brief FFQ
Background: Diabetes, obesity, gout, hypertension; these are all global epidemics that have been on the rise in recent years. Hard evidence has been produced showing an association of these diseases with the intake of free ... -
Describing activity breaks using accelerometry
Background: Intervention studies observing the effects of physical activity on health often use accelerometry to quantify periods of sedentary behaviour and non-sedentary behaviour as well as the number of interruptions ... -
Food, Cooking and Youth: A survey of New Zealand adolescent cooking abilities and behaviours - associations with well-being, resilience and family connectedness
Background: Adolescence is a critical stage in life when young people obtain the necessary skills and practice positive behaviours that will ensure a lifetime of good health and well-being. Evidence suggests that involvement ... -
Development and testing of a population-based electronic diabetes nutritional education tool
Nutritional education for pre- and type 2 diabetes empowers individuals to make positive dietary and lifestyle choices. As the world migrates to digital devices, opportunities arise for education resources that have a wide ... -
Exploring Patient Foodservice Experiences with a New Zealand Public Hospital Population
Background: Recently, patient experience tools have been preferred by hospitals over patient satisfaction tools. This is because patient experience is seen as providing more meaningful feedback, allowing service providers ...