Contact Details
- Phone
- +64 3 479 7278
- sherly.parackal@otago.ac.nz
University Links
- Position
- Senior Research Fellow
- Qualifications
- BSc (Chemistry, Botany, Zoology), PG Dip (Food Science and Nutrition), MSc (Food Service Management and Dietetics), PG Dip (Nutritional Science), PhD (Nutritional Science)
- Research summary
- Diet-related non-communicable diseases in the Asia-Pacific region, migrant health, Asian health, ethnic-specific dietary assessment, community-centred intervention design, development and implementation (co-design)
- Memberships
- Global Diabetes Research Network for South Asians (Global DISHA) http://globaldisha.org/
- Otago Global Health Institute http://www.otago.ac.nz/global-health/people/index.html
- Public Health Association of New Zealand
- Fetal Alcohol Network New Zealand (FANNZ)
- Life member of the Indian Dietetic Association
Research
Sherly is the research lead in non-communicable diseases (Epidemiology and Prevention) at the Centre for International Health.
Sherly migrated to New Zealand from southern India in the mid-nineties. She is the Principal Investigator of the COVID-19 Diet and Activity study in Bandung, Indonesia, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Indonesia. Sherly is also initiating a diabetes prevention project in Indonesia.
Sherly is the Principal Investigator of the EMIGRATE project, investigating the health trajectory of ethnic voluntary migrants in Aotearoa, New Zealand and a key investigator in the Cancer Disparity Research led by Professor Rathan Subramaniam.
Projects
- A pilot trial of a co-designed, digitised health promoting intervention for New Zealand South Asians
- Co-creating educational comics and video clips for a health promoting dietary and activity programme targeting early South Asian migrants
- Co-designing a culturally appropriate intervention to prolong the Healthy Migrant Status of South Asians
- Development and piloting of a South Asian specific Food Frequency Questionnaire (SANZ FFQ) to investigate associations between their dietary patterns and health outcomes in New Zealand
- Easy As! Or Is It? Asian Migrants Navigating the New Zealand Health System
- Investigating dietary and activity changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications on health status of Adolescents and Adults in Bandung, Indonesia
- Unravelling the health journey of ethnic voluntary migrants in Aotearoa, New Zealand: Ethnic MIGRant heAlth TrajEctory (EMIGRATE) project
Diet, activity, and medicine usage in South Asians at risk for cardiovascular disease in Aotearoa New Zealand
Investigators and affiliations:
- Dr Sherly Parackal, Centre for International Heath, Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago
- Associate Professor Kirsten Coppell, Research Associate Professor, Department of Medicine University of Otago, Wellington
- Dr Mudassir Anwar, School of Pharmacy, University of Otago
- Dr Sumera Akhtar, Centre for International Heath, Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago
Funding: Otago Medical Research Foundation Laurenson Bequest Award
Abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most potent killer in New Zealand (NZ) with NZ South Asians (SA) being one of the three high risk groups. Nevertheless, targeted prevention measures for NZ SAs are glaringly negligible. Poor dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles are strongly associated with CVD as is poor medicine usage among SAs with diabetes, a risk factor for CVD. International research demonstrates the importance of first gaining an understanding of health beliefs, knowledge, and behaviours related to diet, physical activity, and medicine usage before designing ethnic-specific interventions to reduce CVD burden. We aim to gain this understanding for SAs in NZ, which is not known.
Diet and physical activity related health beliefs, knowledge and behaviour of South Asians with pharmacologically untreated hypercholesterolemia in Aotearoa New Zealand4>
Investigators and affiliations:
- Dr Sherly Parackal, Centre for International Heath, Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago
- Associate Professor Kirsten Coppell, Research Associate Professor, Department of Medicine University of Otago, Wellington
- Dr Sumera Akhtar, Centre for International Heath, Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago
Funding: Otago Medical Research Foundation Laurenson Bequest Award
Abstract: South Asians (SAs) have particularly high rates of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases (ASCVD), such as coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and peripheral arterial disease. NZ SAs are one of the three high risk groups for high blood cholesterol, a key risk factor of ASCVD, nevertheless targeted prevention measures are absent. Epidemiological investigations have identified a positive association between dietary saturated fats and the increased risk of ASCVD. Our recently completed study indicates that most participants treated for high blood cholesterol were diagnosed at a young age and were disheartened for not being able to manage the disease via lifestyle changes. What is unknown is whether SAs with medically untreated high blood cholesterol have the knowledge to make lifestyle changes and if they have received culturally appropriate professional advice to enable this. The current study aims to address this gap in our knowledge to inform clinical practice and develop an ethnic-specific intervention.
Student projects as primary supervisor
Co-designing a diabetes prevention program for urban communities in Bandung, Indonesia.
Candidate: Mrs Noormarina Indraswari
Degree: PhD
Postdoctoral supervision
Improving service delivery for NZ South Asian women with gestational diabetes in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Candidate: Dr Sumera Akhtar
Funding: HRC Career Development Award, 2024
Abstract: South Asian women are at high risk of developing gestational diabetes and are almost four times more likely than other New Zealand ethnicities. Women with gestational diabetes are seven times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes(T2DM) within five to ten years of an index pregnancy. Despite the higher rates of GDM among South Asians, there is a gap in our understanding of the lived experiences, knowledge and management of GDM, which would inform and improve GDM care for NZ South Asian women.
Publications
Parackal, S., Parackal, M., & Akhtar, S. S. (2023). A cross-sectional study on alcohol and contraception use among sexually active women of childbearing age: Implications for preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Women's Health, 19, 1-10. doi: 10.1177/17455057231161479
Xiang, V., Parackal, S., Gurung, G., & Subramaniam, R. (2023). Asian migrants navigating New Zealand primary care: A qualitative study. Journal of Primary Health Care, 15(1), 30-37. doi: 10.1071/hc22132
Parackal, S. (2023). Post-migration food habits of New Zealand South Asian migrants: Implications for health promotion practice. Journal of Migration & Health. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.jmh.2023.100182
Parackal, S., Coppell, K., Lam Yang, C., Sullivan, T., & Subramaniam, R. (2021). Hidden figures and misnomers: A case for disaggregated Asian health statistics in Aotearoa New Zealand to improve health outcomes. New Zealand Medical Journal, 134(1546), 109-116. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Parackal, S., Skidmore, P., Fleming, L., Bailey, K., Bradbury, K., & Wall, C. (2021). Stepwise tailoring and test-retest of reproducibility of an ethnic specific food frequency questionnaire for South Asians in New Zealand. Public Health Nutrition, 24(9), 2447-2454. doi: 10.1017/s1368980021001208
Parackal, S. (2023). Post-migration food habits of New Zealand South Asian migrants: Implications for health promotion practice. Journal of Migration & Health. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.jmh.2023.100182
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, S., Parackal, M., & Akhtar, S. S. (2023). A cross-sectional study on alcohol and contraception use among sexually active women of childbearing age: Implications for preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Women's Health, 19, 1-10. doi: 10.1177/17455057231161479
Journal - Research Article
Xiang, V., Parackal, S., Gurung, G., & Subramaniam, R. (2023). Asian migrants navigating New Zealand primary care: A qualitative study. Journal of Primary Health Care, 15(1), 30-37. doi: 10.1071/hc22132
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, M., Parackal, S., Mather, D., & Eusebius, S. (2021). Dynamic transactional model: A framework for communicating public health messages via social media. Perspectives in Public Health, 141(5), 279-286. doi: 10.1177/1757913920935910
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, S., Skidmore, P., Fleming, L., Bailey, K., Bradbury, K., & Wall, C. (2021). Stepwise tailoring and test-retest of reproducibility of an ethnic specific food frequency questionnaire for South Asians in New Zealand. Public Health Nutrition, 24(9), 2447-2454. doi: 10.1017/s1368980021001208
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, S., Smith, C., & Skidmore, P. (2020). Diet quality, nutrient intakes and biochemical status of New Zealand women of childbearing age according to alcohol consumption patterns. Public Health Nutrition, 23(16), 2952-2962. doi: 10.1017/s1368980019003781
Journal - Research Article
Sam, C. H. Y., Skidmore, P., Skeaff, S., Parackal, S., Wall, C., & Bradbury, K. E. (2020). Relative validity and reproductivity of a short food frequency questionnaire to assess nutrient intakes of New Zealand adults. Nutrients, 12(3), 619. doi: 10.3390/nu12030619
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, M., & Parackal, S. (2019). A renewed media-mix, based on the dynamic transactional model, for communicating the harms of alcohol to women in New Zealand. Health Promotion International, 34, 921-930. doi: 10.1093/heapro/day033
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, S., Parackal, M., & Harraway, J. (2019). Associated factors of drinking prior to recognising pregnancy and risky drinking among New Zealand women aged 18 to 35 Years. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health, 16(10), 1822. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16101822
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, M., & Parackal, S. (2017). Implication of alcohol consumption on aggregate wellbeing. Perspectives in Public Health, 137(4), 220-226. doi: 10.1177/1757913916669538
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, M., Parackal, S., Eusebius, S., & Mather, D. (2017). The use of Facebook advertising for communicating public health messages: A campaign against drinking during pregnancy in New Zealand. JMIR Public Health & Surveillance, 3(3), e49. doi: 10.2196/publichealth.7032
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, S. (2017). Dietary transition in the South Asian diaspora: Implications for diabetes prevention strategies. Current Diabetes Reviews, 13(5), 482-487. doi: 10.2174/1573399812666160901094741
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, S., Stewart, J., & Ho, E. (2017). Exploring reasons for ethnic disparities in diet- and lifestyle-related chronic disease for Asian sub-groups in New Zealand: A scoping exercise. Ethnicity & Health, 22(4), 333-347. doi: 10.1080/13557858.2016.1246424
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, S. M., Smith, C., & Parnell, W. R. (2015). A profile of New Zealand 'Asian' participants of the 2008/09 Adult National Nutrition Survey: Focus on dietary habits, nutrient intakes and health outcomes. Public Health Nutrition, 18(5), 893-904. doi: 10.1017/S1368980014001049
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, S. M., Parackal, M. K., & Harraway, J. A. (2013). Prevalence and correlates of drinking in early pregnancy among women who stopped drinking on pregnancy recognition. Maternal & Child Health Journal, 17(3), 520-529. doi: 10.1007/s10995-012-1026-7
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, S. M., Parackal, M. K., & Harraway, J. A. (2010). Warning labels on alcohol containers as a source of information on alcohol consumption in pregnancy among New Zealand women. International Journal of Drug Policy, 21(4), 302-305. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2009.10.006
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, S. M., Parackal, M. K., Harraway, J. A., & Ferguson, E. L. (2009). Opinions of non-pregnant New Zealand women aged 16-40 years about the safety of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Drug & Alcohol Review, 28(2), 135-141. doi: 10.1111/j.1465-3362.2008.00018.x
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, S., Ferguson, E., & Harraway, J. (2007). Alcohol and tobacco consumption among 6-24-months post-partum New Zealand women. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 3, 40-51.
Journal - Research Article
Parackal, S., Coppell, K., Lam Yang, C., Sullivan, T., & Subramaniam, R. (2021). Hidden figures and misnomers: A case for disaggregated Asian health statistics in Aotearoa New Zealand to improve health outcomes. New Zealand Medical Journal, 134(1546), 109-116. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Journal - Research Other