Dr Christina McKerchar

Position	Senior Lecturer in Māori Health
Department	Department of Population Health (Christchurch)
Qualifications	BCApSc, MSc, PhD
Research summary	Nutrition and Maori Health

Research

Christina is of Nagti Kahungunu, Tuhoe and Ngati Porou descent. She trained as a nutritionist, and worked for a number of years, for Te Hotu Manawa Maori a national Maori 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 is also completing a PhD and her topic is: Food availability for Māori children: A rights based approach. Is the right to healthy food realised for Māori children in their lived environments? If not, what policy options would impact on this right being realised?

The study is a mixed-method inquiry informed by Kaupapa Māori research principles.

Her research interests include: public health nutrition, food security and Maori health.

Publications

Russell, E., McKerchar, C., Thompson, L., & Berghan, J. (2023). Māori experiences of social housing in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Kōtuitui. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/1177083X.2023.2180762

Duthie, C., Pocock, T., Curl, A., Clark, E., Norriss, D., Bidwell, S., McKerchar, C., & Crossin, R. (2023). Online on-demand delivery services of food and alcohol: A scoping review of public health impacts. SSM Population Health, 21, 101349. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101349

Nghiem, N., Teng, A., Cleghorn, C., McKerchar, C., & Wilson, N. (2022). Using household economic survey data to assess food expenditure patterns and trends in a high-income country with notable health inequities. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 21703. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-26301-z

Norriss, D., Crossin, R., Curl, A., Bidwell, S., Clark, E., Pocock, T., Gage, R., & McKerchar, C. (2022). Food outlet access and the healthiness of food available 'on-demand' via meal delivery apps in New Zealand. Nutrients, 14(20), 4228. doi: 10.3390/nu14204228

Gage, R., Chambers, T., Smith, M., McKerchar, C., Puloka, V., Pearson, A., Kawachi, I., & Signal, L. (2022). Children's perspectives on the wicked problem of child poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand: A wearable camera study. New Zealand Medical Journal, 135(1559), 95-111. Retrieved from https://journal.nzma.org.nz

Journal - Research Article

Graham, F., Boland, P., Jones, B., Wallace, S., Taylor, W., Desha, L., Maggo, J., McKerchar, C., & Grainger, R. (2022). Stakeholder perspectives of the sociotechnical requirements of a telehealth wheelchair assessment service in Aotearoa/New Zealand: A qualitative analysis. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 69, 279-289. doi: 10.1111/1440-1630.12790

Journal - Research Article

McKerchar, C., Gage, R., Smith, M., Lacey, C., Abel, G., Ni Mhurchu, C., & Signal, L. (2022). Children’s community nutrition environment, food and drink purchases and consumption on journeys between home and school: A wearable camera study. Nutrients, 14, 1995. doi: 10.3390/nu14101995

Journal - Research Article

Miles, H., Apeldoorn, B., McKerchar, C., Curl, A., & Crossin, R. (2022). Describing and characterising on-demand delivery of unhealthy commodities in New Zealand. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.13230

Journal - Research Article

Watkins, L., Gage, R., Smith, M., McKerchar, C., Aitken, R., & Signal, L. (2022). An objective assessment of children's exposure to brand marketing in New Zealand (Kids'Cam): A cross-sectional study. Lancet Planetary Health, 6, e132-e138. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00290-4

Journal - Research Article

Gage, R., Girling-Butcher, M., Joe, E., Smith, M., Ni Mhurchu, C., McKerchar, C., Puloka, V., McLean, R., & Signal, L. (2021). The frequency and context of snacking among children: An objective analysis using wearable cameras. Nutrients, 13, 103. doi: 10.3390/nu13010103

Journal - Research Article

Hapuku, A., McKerchar, C., & Thompson, L. (2021). Tū manawa ora, tū manawa toa. MAI Journal, 10(2), 169-179. doi: 10.20507/MAIJournal.2021.10.2.10

Journal - Research Article

Hartley, M., Curl, A., Crossin, R., & McKerchar, C. (2021). Access to primary care services using public transport in Ōtautahi Christchurch. New Zealand Medical Journal, 134(1546), 59-69. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Article

McKerchar, C., Lacey, C., Abel, G., & Signal, L. (2021). Ensuring the right to food for indigenous children: A case study of stakeholder perspectives on policy options to ensure the rights of tamariki Māori to healthy food. International Journal for Equity in Health, 20, 67. doi: 10.1186/s12939-021-01407-4

Journal - Research Article

Hawley, G., Macmillan, A., Field, A., Hodgson, R., Witten, K., Kearns, R. A., & McKerchar, C. (2020). The normative influence of adults on youth access: Challenges and opportunities in the context of shifts away from car-dependence. Journal of Transport & Health, 16, 100841. doi: 10.1016/j.jth.2020.100841

Journal - Research Article

McKerchar, C., King, P., Lacey, C., Abel, G., & Signal, L. (2020). Rights-based approaches to improving food availability for tamariki Māori: A narrative literature review and theory-based synthesis. MAI Journal, 9(3), 237-248. doi: 10.20507/MAIJournal.2020.9.3.6

Journal - Research Article

McKerchar, C., Smith, M., Gage, R., Williman, J., Abel, G., Lacey, C., Ni Mhurchu, C., & Signal, L. (2020). Kids in a candy store: An objective analysis of children's interactions with food in convenience stores. Nutrients, 12(7), 2143. doi: 10.3390/nu12072143

Journal - Research Article

McKerchar, C., Smith, M., Stanley, J., Barr, M., Chambers, T., Abel, G., Lacey, C., Gage, R., … Signal, L. (2020). Food store environment examination: FoodSee: A new method to study the food store environment using wearable cameras. Global Health Promotion, 27(3), 73-81. doi: 10.1177/1757975919859575

Journal - Research Article

Signal, L. N., Edwards, R., Gage, R., Jackson, N., McKerchar, C., & Sarfati, D. (2020). The state of cancer prevention in Aotearoa New Zealand: Slow progress requires political leadership and investment for health and equity. Journal of Cancer Policy, 23, 100212. doi: 10.1016/j.jcpo.2019.100212

Journal - Research Article

Beavis, B. S., McKerchar, C., Maaka, J., & Mainvil, L. A. (2019). Exploration of Māori household experiences of food insecurity. Nutrition & Dietetics, 76, 344-352. doi: 10.1111/1747-0080.12477

Journal - Research Article

Veatupu, L., Puloka, V., Smith, M., McKerchar, C., & Signal, L. (2019). Me'akai in Tonga: Exploring the nature and context of the food Tongan children eat in Ha'apai using wearable cameras. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health, 16(10), 1681. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16101681

Journal - Research Article

Signal, L. N., Stanley, J., Smith, M., Barr, M. L., Chambers, T. J., Zhou, J., … McKerchar, C., Pearson, A. L., Hoek, J., Jenkin, G. L. S., & Ni Mhurchu, C. (2017). Children's everyday exposure to food marketing: An objective analysis using wearable cameras. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity, 14, 137. doi: 10.1186/s12966-017-0570-3

Journal - Research Article

McKerchar, C., Bowers, S., Heta, C., Signal, L., & Matoe, L. (2015). Enhancing Māori food security using traditional kai. Global Health Promotion, 22(3), 15-24. doi: 10.1177/1757975914543573

Journal - Research Article

Signal, L. N., Walton, M. D., Ni Mhurchu, C., Maddison, R., Bowers, S. G., Carter, K. N., … Lanumata, T. S., McKerchar, C. W., O'Dea, D., & Pearce, J. (2013). Tackling 'wicked' health promotion problems: A New Zealand case study. Health Promotion International, 28(1), 84-94. doi: 10.1093/heapro/das006

Journal - Research Article

Ni Mhurchu, C., Blakely, T., Funaki-Tahifote, M., McKerchar, C., Wilton, J., Chua, S., & Jiang, Y. (2009). Inclusion of indigenous and ethnic minority populations in intervention trials: Challenges and strategies in a New Zealand supermarket study. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 63(10), 850-855. doi: 10.1136/jech.2008.081109

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Research Other

O'Toole, C., Gage, R., McKerchar, C., Puloka, V., McLean, R., & Signal, L. (2020). Is snacking the new eating norm for New Zealand children? An urgent call for research. New Zealand Medical Journal, 133(1517), 131-132. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Other

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Dr Christina McKerchar

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