Dr Christina McKerchar

Background

Christina is of Ngāti Kahungunu, Tūhoe and Ngāti Porou descent. She trained as a nutritionist, and worked for a number of years, for Te Hotu Manawa Māori a national Māori Health provider.

She has also worked for Agencies for Nutrition Action, a coalition group of non-government organisations who have an interest in nutrition.

Christina has completed her PhD entitled: Food availability for Māori children: A rights based approach.

Teaching

• Convenor: PUBH 712 Foundations of Hauora Māori
• Convenor: PUBH 741 Hauora Māori - Policy, Practice and Research

Research interests

• Public Health Nutrition
• Food security
• Māori Health

Professional groups

• Agencies for Nutrition Action Board Member 2009–2010

Presentations

From Kererū to KFC: Māori eating patterns over time. New Zealand Dietetic Association Conference (Keynote Oral Presentation). Nutrition & Dietetics 2008;65 (Suppl. 4):A6

Current projects

• Te Rōpū Rangahau ō Te Kāhui Matepukupuku: Cancer Society Research Collaboration
• ACTIVATION: Activating Change Through Interventions for Active Travel in our Neighbourhoods, Healthier Lives, National Science Challenge
• He kai kei aku ringaringa. Food insecurity on the West Coast – Te Tai o Poutini (UORG 2020) (PDF)
• Sustainable New Zealand diets: Assessing the health and environmental benefits of sustainable New Zealand diets, Healthier Lives, National Science Challenge
• Gut Symptom Te Waipounamu investigation project (DOCX)
  Further information relating to the Gut Symptom Te Waipounamu investigation project
  
  • Delayed diagnosis of gut symptoms-A literature review (PDF)
  • Gut Symptom investigation Te Waipounamu-qualitative findings (PDF)

Current supervision

• Els Russell, Master of Public Health (Thesis)
• Nicki Williams, PhD
• Tom Worters, Master of Public Health (Thesis)

Completed supervision

• Silas Thielmann: Whakangā: Whānau experiences of living with Bronchiectasis and navigating the health system, MPH (Dissertation), Completed 2021
• Aaron Hapuku: Tuhinga whakarāpopoto, Completed 2019
• Sai Machiraju: The Underutilization of Mental Health Services: Perspectives of Indian Women in Christchurch, MPH (Dissertation) Completed 2018
• Donna Southorn: “I'm Just a Young Mother” Teenage Mothers' Perspectives on Early Parenthood, MPH (Dissertation) Completed 2016