Dr Matthew Hobbs
In the news
Third of Christchurch vape stores within 400m of schools
A third of Christchurch’s vape stores are within 400m of a school, with more expected to be set up before new legislation comes into effect next month.
Read more here.
August 2023
Why New Zealand must consider restricting alcohol sponsorship
For those concerned about the public health impacts of alcohol, the government’s recent policy announcement was perhaps a little “glass half empty” to be cause for outright celebration.
Read more here.
December 2022
Award for researcher’s efforts to help NZers stay healthy
Wanting people to live healthier and happier lives is a big motivation for public health researcher Dr Matt Hobbs, who has been recognised for outstanding work in his field.
Dr Hobbs, a Senior Lecturer in Public Health in the University of Canterbury (UC) Faculty of Health and Co-Director of the GeoHealth Laboratory, has won a UC Early and Emerging Career Researcher Award. Read more here.
December 2022
New Zealand councils that fluoridate water failing to do so properly
Every single council in New Zealand that fluoridates its drinking water is failing to do so at the proper level.
A new report shows councils are only putting correct doses of fluoride in the water 50 percent of the time which means more than one million Kiwis are missing out on its benefits of protecting their teeth. See more here.
October 2022
How did Pfizer vaccine fare against Omicron in New Zealand?
New Zealand confronted Omicron as one of the most vaccinated populations on the planet – so what difference did that make in blunting the worst impacts?
That's what researchers plan to find out in a new study exploring the effectiveness of multiple doses of the Pfizer vaccine against the variant, in what was also one of the world's few "infection-naïve" populations.
Study leaders Dr Anna Howe and Dr Matt Hobbs also aim to answer another critical question: what protection the vaccine gave Māori, Pasifika and other high-risk groups. Read more here.
September 2022
How 'unhealthy neighbourhoods' are affecting Kiwi teens
Aotearoa New Zealand has been dropping the ball when it comes to the way our towns and suburbs are designed.
A new study from the University of Canterbury has looked into how 'unhealthy neighbourhoods' are affecting Kiwi teens in terms of their physical activity.
Research author Matt Hobbs spoke to Tova O'Brien on Wednesday morning and explained there were some big differences across major cities. Listen here.
September 2022
Resurgent COVID-19 pushes New Zealand’s health system to the limit
As Aotearoa New Zealand heads into the colder winter months, the pressures on our health system and staff are growing significantly.
If we are to weather the coming storm, there will need to be a recommitment to public health measures that slow the spread of respiratory infections, as well as a renewed drive for widespread vaccination.
Read more in the conversation here.
June 2022
Most challenging phase of the Omicron outbreak is yet to come
Within a month of the first community exposure to Omicron in Aotearoa New Zealand, the variant has already become the dominant strain of COVID-19.
We are yet to see the rapid and steep rise in new Omicron cases that has been predicted. This could be because of asymptomatic transmission, but it is equally likely because public health measures included in the first phase of the “stamp it out strategy” have been effective.
Read more here in The Conversation
Feb 2022
Where you live linked to your mental health
Read the feature article from NZ Stuff here. The report highlights how people reporting recent mental distress or a diagnosis are more likely to live in adverse environments with closer access to 'bads' like fast food and alcohol stores and less access to parks, rivers or waterways. The study was, published in the prestigious Preventive Medicine.
Feb 2021
Water Fluoridation Saves Poorest Children From Hospitalisation
Research shows that children in our most deprived areas benefit from better dental health if water is fluoridated.The study, published in the prestigious International Journal of Epidemiology, shows that the presence of community water fluoridation (CWF) was related to reduced dental hospitalisations in children aged 0 to 4 and 5 to 12 years.
July 2020
Read the feature article from NZ stuff here featuring interviews with Dr. Matthew Hobbs (University of Canterbury), Dr Rob Beaglehole (spokesperson for the New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA)), Dr Katie Ayers (NZDA president and specialist paediatric dentist), and Dr Martin Lee (Canterbury district health board community dental health clinical director).
July 2020
What's in your toothpaste?
What type of toothpaste are you using? A new paper published in the British Dental Journal from award-winning University of Canterbury (UC) researcher Dr Matt Hobbs may have those of us preferring a ‘fluoride-free’ or ‘natural’ approach to oral health, questioning that choice.
March 2020
Geography and obesity: what’s the connection?
How do the characteristics of our neighbourhood influence our health? Pinning down exactly how your home neighbourhood influences obesity, is quite difficult. However, results of a recent study showed that an increased availability of public greenspace was related to decreased maternal obesity risk.
June 2019