Ms Helen Viggers

2026

Journal - Research Article

Lacey, J. K., Salmond, C., Atkinson, J., Viggers, H., & Crampton, P. (2026). The distribution of socioeconomic deprivation within the Māori and European populations in Aotearoa New Zealand, 1991, 2001, and 2023. Kōtuitui, 21(1), e70007. doi: 10.1002/kot2.70007

2025

Journal - Research Article

Viggers, H. E., Ingham, T. R., Chapman, R. B., Crane, J., Currie, A. B., Davies, C., Keall, M., & Howden-Chapman, P. L. (2025). Impact of a heating voucher on health outcomes in COPD patients: A randomised controlled trial. International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 20, 1097-1109. doi: 10.2147/copd.S483194

Apperley, M., Viggers, H., Walmsley, M., Chapman, R., Howden-Chapman, P., Penny, G., … Taptiklis, P. (2025). The role of smart community microgrids in Aotearoa’s energy future. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 55(4), 1147-1166. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2024.2446746

2024

Journal - Research Other

Telfar Barnard, L., Eagles, A., Grimes, A., Howden-Chapman, P., Phipps, R., & Viggers, H. (2024). New Zealand's hard-won improvements to our Building Code must be retained: Here's why. The Briefing, (29 July). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/new-zealands-hard-won-improvements-our-building-code-must-be-retained-heres-why

Howden-Chapman, P., Crane, J., Keall, M., Pierse, N., Baker, M. G., Cunningham, C., … Aspinall, C., Bennett, J., Bierre, S., … Chisholm, E., Davies, C., Fougere, G., Fraser, B., Fyfe, C., Grant, L., … Halley, C., Logan-Riley, A., … Olin, C., Ombler, J., O'Sullivan, K., Pehi, T., Penny, G., … Randal, E., … Robson, B., Ruru, J., Shaw, C., … Teariki, M. A., Telfar Barnard, L., Tiatia, R., Toy-Cronin, B., … Viggers, H., … Zhang, W. (2024). He Kāinga Oranga: Reflections on 25 years of measuring the improved health, wellbeing and sustainability of healthier housing. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 54(3), 290-315. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2023.2170427

Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report

Atkinson, J., Salmond, C., Crampton, P., Viggers, H., & Lacey, K. (2024). NZDep2023 Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation: Research Report. (pp. 1-63). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Public Health, University of Otago. [Technical/Scientific Report].

2023

Journal - Research Article

Howden-Chapman, P., Viggers, H., Keall, M., Bierre, S., Grimes, A., & Pierse, N. (2023). Research-informed public policy: A case study of housing. Policy Quarterly, 19(4), 3-9.

Awarded Doctoral Degree

Viggers, H. E. (2023). Feeling the chill: New Zealanders and our cold homes (PhD). University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/16172

2022

Journal - Research Article

Viggers, H. E., Keall, M., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2022). Towards dwelling energy certification for New Zealand: Normalisation issues. Kōtuitui, 17(2), 206-223. doi: 10.1080/1177083X.2021.1960866

2021

Journal - Research Other

O'Sullivan, K., & Viggers, H. (2021). Six ways to help fix energy hardship in New Zealand. Policy Quarterly, 17(4), 65-72. doi: 10.26686/pq.v17i4.7323

Commissioned Report for External Body

Viggers, H., Amore, K., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2021). Housing that lacks basic amenities in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2018: A supplement to the 2018 Census estimate of severe housing deprivation. Commissioned by Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga/Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Wellington, New Zealand: He Kainga Oranga, Housing and Health Research Programme, University of Otago. 77p. Retrieved from https://www.healthyhousing.org.nz/

2019

Journal - Research Article

Viggers, H., Keall, M., Howden-Chapman, P., Wickens, K., Ingham, T., Davies, C., … Crane, J. (2019). Effect of an electricity voucher on electricity use. Energy Policy, 134, 110985. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2019.110985

Ingham, T., Keall, M., Jones, B., Aldridge, D. R. T., Dowell, A. C., Davies, C., Crane, J., Draper, J. B., Bailey, L. O., Viggers, H., Stanley, T. V., Leadbitter, P., … Howden-Chapman, P. (2019). Damp mouldy housing and early childhood hospital admissions for acute respiratory infection: A case control study. Thorax, 74(9), 849-857. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2018-212979

2018

Chapter in Book - Research

O'Sullivan, K. C., Viggers, H., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2018). The value of experience: Including young people in energy poverty research. In N. Simcock, H. Thomson, S. Petrova & S. Bouzarovski (Eds.), Energy poverty and vulnerability: A global perspective. (pp. 188-201). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Journal - Research Article

Rangiwhetu, L., Pierse, N., Viggers, H., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2018). Cold New Zealand council housing getting an upgrade. Policy Quarterly, 14(2), 65, 73.

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Viggers, H., Keall, M., Wickens, K., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2018). Does paying people to keep warm at home work? Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Energy and Environment of Residential Buildings (ICEERB): Housing Sustainability in Urban Areas. (pp. 28). Retrieved from https://www.otago.ac.nz/iceerb-2018

Other Research Output

Cook, H. and co-signatories, including Aspinall, C., Baker, M., Ball, J., Brewer, N., Cleghorn, C., Cunningham, R., Donovan, S., D'Souza, A., Edwards, R., Fraser, B., Gage, R., Hoek, J., Howden-Chapman, P., Hurley, K., Kvalsvig, A., Kvizhinadze, G., Lawson-Te Aho, K., McIntyre, M. E., Ombler, J., O'Sullivan, K., Pierse, N., Purdie, N., Rangiwhetu, L., Reidy, J., Russel, M., Sarfati, D., Shaw, C., Signal, L., Stanley, J., Thornley, L., Viggers, H., White, M., Wilson, N., and Zhang, W. (2018). Revision of the Abortion Law. Submission to New Zealand Parliament, Wellington, New Zealand. [Government Submission].

2017

Chapter in Book - Research

Howden-Chapman, P., Chisholm, E., Telfar Barnard, L., Viggers, H., O'Sullivan, K., Bennett, J., Bierre, S., Preval, N., Randal, E., Tiatia, R., Ombler, J., Amore, K., Rivera-Muñoz, G., … Davies, C., Aspinall, C., Oliver, J., Baker, M., Keall, M., … Crane, J., & Pierse, N. (2017). Housing, energy and health in resilient cities. In P. Howden-Chapman, L. Early & J. Ombler (Eds.), Cities in New Zealand: Preferences, patterns and possibilities. (pp. 95-106). Wellington, New Zealand: Steele Roberts Aotearoa.

Journal - Research Article

Viggers, H., Keall, M., Wickens, K., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2017). Increased house size can cancel out the effect of improved insulation on overall heating energy requirements. Energy Policy, 107, 248-257. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2017.04.045

2016

Journal - Research Article

O'Sullivan, K., Telfar Barnard, L., Viggers, H., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2016). Child and youth fuel poverty: Assessing the known and unknown. People, Place & Policy, 10(1), 77-87. doi: 10.3351/ppp.0010.0001.0006

Journal - Research Other

Viggers, H., Tiatia, R., & Cunningham, C. (2016). Housing inequalities. The Lens, 2(1), 6-7.

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

O'Sullivan, K. C., Viggers, H., Howden-Chapman, P., and Waiopehu College Social Action Research Team 2016. (2016, September). Cool at school? Pilot study: Mixed methods action research with youth to investigate the indoor environments of New Zealand classrooms. Verbal presentation at the 4th European Conference on Behaviour and Energy Efficiency (Behave), Coimbra, Portugal.

Other Research Output

Viggers, H. (2016, August). Policy settings, house structure and home warmth. Otago Energy Research Centre (OERC), University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Department Seminar].

2014

Journal - Research Article

O'Sullivan, K. C., Viggers, H. E., & Howden-Chapman, P. L. (2014). The influence of electricity prepayment meter use on household energy behaviour. Sustainable Cities & Society, 13, 182-191. doi: 10.1016/j.scs.2013.10.004

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Viggers, H., Howden-Chapman, P., Crane, J., Ingham, T., Baker, M., & Davies, C. (2014). Warm homes for elder New Zealanders? Proceedings of the New Zealand Population Health Congress: Connecting Communities, Policy and Science. (pp. 48). Retrieved from http://www.pophealthcongress.org.nz/nzphc14/programme/programme

Viggers, H. (2014). Comparing apples with watermelons: Normalisation methods for dwelling energy use. Proceedings of the Otago Energy Research Centre (OERC) Symposium. (pp. 5). Retrieved from http://www.otago.ac.nz/oerc/

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Viggers, H. (2014, July). Commutability: One person’s active transport home-work travel economic trade-off. Verbal presentation at the 5th NZ Mobilities Symposium: Future mobilities and resilience, Wellington, New Zealand.

2013

Journal - Research Article

Viggers, H., Howden-Chapman, P., Ingham, T., Chapman, R., Pene, G., Davies, C., … Pierse, N., Wilson, H., Zhang, J., Baker, M., & Crane, J. (2013). Warm homes for older people: Aims and methods of a randomised community-based trial for people with COPD. BMC Public Health, 13, 176. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-176

Commissioned Report for External Body

Amore, K., Viggers, H., Baker, M. G., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2013). Severe housing deprivation: The problem and its measurement. Commissioned by Official Statistics Research. Wellington, New Zealand: He Kainga Oranga/Housing & Health Research Programme, University of Otago. 78p.

2012

Journal - Research Article

Howden-Chapman, P., Viggers, H., Chapman, R., O'Sullivan, K., Telfar Barnard, L., & Lloyd, B. (2012). Tackling cold housing and fuel poverty in New Zealand: A review of policies, research, and health impacts. Energy Policy, 49, 134-142. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2011.09.044

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Jayatissa, W., Viggers, H., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2012). Monthly average daily solar radiation on Wellington roof tops. Proceedings of the Otago Energy Research Centre (OERC) Symposium. (pp. 10). Retrieved from http://www.otago.ac.nz/oerc/

Viggers, H., Keall, M., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2012). Home energy index: Pragmatic vs precise. Proceedings of the Otago Energy Research Centre (OERC) Symposium. (pp. 4). Retrieved from http://www.otago.ac.nz/oerc/

2011

Chapter in Book - Research

Viggers, H., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2011). Urban form, public transport and mortgagee sales. In K. Witten, W. Abrahamse & K. Stuart (Eds.), Growth misconduct? Avoiding sprawl and improving urban intensification in New Zealand. (pp. 159-178). Wellington, New Zealand: Steele Roberts Aotearoa.

Journal - Research Article

Gillespie-Bennett, J., Pierse, N., Wickens, K., Crane, J., Howden-Chapman, P., and the Housing Heating and Health Study Research Team, including Viggers, H., & Lloyd, B. (2011). The respiratory health effects of nitrogen dioxide in children with asthma. European Respiratory Journal, 38, 303-309. doi: 10.1183/09031936.00115409

Commissioned Report for External Body

Viggers, H., Howden-Chapman, P., & Jones, G. (2011). Residential movement in the housing, insulation and health study. Wellington, New Zealand: Centre for Research, Evaluation and Social Assessment (CRESA). 26p.

2010

Journal - Research Article

Free, S., Howden-Chapman, P., Pierse, N., Viggers, H., the Housing, Heating, and Health Study Research Team, including Nicholls, S., Bennett, J., Shields, D., Lloyd, B., Wickens, K., Baker, M., & Crane, J. (2010). More effective home heating reduces school absences for children with asthma. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 64(5), 379-386. doi: 10.1136/jech.2008.086520

2009

Journal - Research Article

Howden-Chapman, P., Viggers, H., Chapman, R., O'Dea, D. J., Free, S., & O'Sullivan, K. (2009). Warm homes: Drivers of the demand for heating in the residential sector in New Zealand. Energy Policy, 37(9), 3387-3399. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2008.12.023

Chapman, R., Howden-Chapman, P., Viggers, H., O'Dea, D., & Kennedy, M. (2009). Retrofitting houses with insulation: A cost-benefit analysis of a randomised community trial. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 63(4), 271-277. doi: 10.1136/jech.2007.070037

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Viggers, H. E., Howden-Chapman, P. L., and the Warm Homes for Elder New Zealanders Team. (2009). The warm homes for elder New Zealanders study. Proceedings of the New Zealand Public Health Association Annual Conference: Research & Values: The Underpinnings of Public Health Practice. (pp. 50). Retrieved from http://www.pha.org.nz/phaconference.html

2008

Journal - Research Article

Boulic, M., Fjällström, P., Phipps, R., Cunningham, M., Cleland, D., Pierse, N., Howden-Chapman, P., … Viggers, H., … and the Housing, Heating, and Health Team, including Baker, M., Crane, J., Cunningham, C., Free, S., Gillespie-Bennett, J., Shields, D., & Wickens, K. (2008). Cold homes in New Zealand: Does increasing the heater capacity improve indoor temperatures? Clean Air & Environmental Quality, 42(3), 22-29.

Gillespie-Bennett, J., Pierse, N., Wickens, K., Crane, J., Nicholls, S., Shields, D., … Viggers, H., Baker, M., … Howden-Chapman, P. (2008). Sources of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in New Zealand homes: Findings from a community randomized controlled trial of heater substitutions. Indoor Air, 18(6), 521-528. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0668.2008.00554.x

Howden-Chapman, P., Pierse, N., Nicholls, S., Gillespie-Bennett, J., Viggers, H., Cunningham, M., … Free, S., … Lloyd, B., Wickens, K., Shields, D., Baker, M., Cunningham, C., … Crane, J. (2008). Effects of improved home heating on asthma in community dwelling children: Randomised controlled trial. BMJ, 337, 852-855. doi: 10.1136/bmj.a1411

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper

Viggers, H., Howden-Chapman, P., Pierse, N., Gillespie-Bennett, J., Cunningham, M., Phipps, R., & Crane, J. (2008). Effect of installing effective heaters into the homes of asthmatic children. Proceedings of the Population Health Congress. (pp. 50-55). Maroochydore, Australia: Australian Health Promotion Association. [Full Paper]

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Gillespie-Bennett, J., Pierse, N., Wickens, K., Crane, J., Viggers, H., Nicholls, S., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2008, August). Improving indoor air in New Zealand homes: The respiratory health effects of nitrogen dioxide exposure. Verbal presentation at the Indoor Air Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Commissioned Report for External Body

Viggers, H., Free, S., Howden-Chapman, P., Day, P., & Pearce, J. (2008). Educational outcomes: Taita and Naenae. Commissioned by Housing New Zealand Corporation. 75p.

Viggers, H., Howden-Chapman, P., Day, P., & Pearce, J. (2008). Community profile and description of place: Taita and Naenae. Commissioned by Housing New Zealand Corporation. 125p.

2007

Journal - Research Article

Howden-Chapman, P., Matheson, A., Crane, J., Viggers, H., Cunningham, M., Blakely, T., … O'Dea, D., Kennedy, M., Baker, M., Waipara, N., … Davie, G. (2007). Effect of insulating existing houses on health inequality: Cluster randomised study in the community. BMJ, 334, 460. doi: 10.1136/bmj.39070.573032.80

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Gillespie, J., Howden-Chapman, P., Crane, J., Wickens, K., Pierse, N., Viggers, H., … Housing and Heating Research Team. (2007). Improving the indoor air in New Zealand homes: The respiratory health effects of nitrogen dioxide exposure. Proceedings of the 14th International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations (IUAPPA) World Congress. Retrieved from http://www.iuappa2007.com/

Phipps, R., Cunningham, M., Fjällström, P., Boulic, M., Howden-Chapman, P., Crane, J., Baker, M., Viggers, H., Nicholls, S., Lloyd, B., & Chapman, R. (2007). Intensive monitoring of emissions from portable domestic heaters in New Zealand. Proceedings of the 14th International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations (IUAPPA) World Congress. Retrieved from http://www.iuappa2007.com/

2005

Journal - Research Article

Howden-Chapman, P., Crane, J., Matheson, A., Viggers, H., Cunningham, M., Blakely, T., O'Dea, D., … Baker, M., & Waipara, N. (2005). Retrofitting houses with insulation to reduce health inequalities: Aims and methods of a clustered, randomised community-based trial. Social Science & Medicine, 61, 2600-2610.

2004

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper

Howden-Chapman, P., Matheson, A., Crane, J., Viggers, H., Cunningham, M., Blakely, T., O'Dea, D., … Baker, M., Waipara, N., Kennedy, M., & Davies, G. (2004). Retrofitting houses with insulation to reduce health inequalities: A community-based randomised trial. Proceedings of the 2nd WHO International Housing and Health Symposium. (pp. 51-59). Europe: WHO. [Full Paper]