BSc (Human Nutrition) BA (History) MSc (Human Nutrition) PhD (Human Nutrition)
Email claire.smith@otago.ac.nz
I have a background in Human Nutrition and my research has focused on issues relating to food insecurity and food poverty in New Zealand. I have also worked on National Nutrition Surveys and have been interested in trends relating to food intake and nutritional status for many years.
I work within the Kidzz Sleep Health research group and am particularly interested in the link between diet and sleep.
I am leading a large study of pre-bedtime behaviours in adolescents. While my research interests started in the nutrition field, I have developed an interest and expertise in the rapidly expanding field of sleep and how it relates to diet and lifestyle. Automated wearable cameras have potential to enhance traditional dietary assessment techniques but also measure screen use. The SNAP IT project (Measurement of Sleep, Screen use, Nutrition, and Activity using Photo Image in Teens) aims to use novel technologies to better capture diet and screen use in NZ adolescents, with the aim of increasing our understanding of how recreational screen time, physical activity, and diet impact on sleep in adolescents.
One further focus of my current research is to develop new methods of measuring diet and behaviour to improve on traditional techniques in respect to both respondent burden and increased accuracy.
Additional details
My role is funded through a Lotteries Health Grant and University of Otago Research Grant.
Publications
Smith, C., Galland, B. C., de Bruin, W. E., & Taylor, R. W. (2019). Feasibility of automated cameras to measure screen use in adolescents. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 57(3), 417-424. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.04.012
Smith, C., Gray, A. R., Mainvil, L. A., Fleming, E. A., & Parnell, W. R. (2015). Secular changes in intakes of foods among New Zealand adults from 1997 to 2008/09. Public Health Nutrition, 18(18), 3249-3259. doi: 10.1017/S1368980015000890
Smith, C., Gray, A. R., Fleming, E. A., & Parnell, W. R. (2014). Characteristics of fast-food/takeaway-food and restaurant/café-food consumers among New Zealand adults. Public Health Nutrition, 17(10), 2368-2377. doi: 10.1017/S1368980013002681
Smith, C., Parnell, W. R., Brown, R. C., & Gray, A. R. (2013). Balancing the diet and the budget: Food purchasing practices of food-insecure families in New Zealand. Nutrition & Dietetics, 70(4), 278-285. doi: 10.1111/1747-0080.12043
Smith, C., Parnell, W. R., Brown, R. C., & Gray, A. R. (2013). Providing additional money to food-insecure households and its effect on food expenditure: A randomized controlled trial. Public Health Nutrition, 16(8), 1507-1515. doi: 10.1017/s1368980012003680
Commissioned Report for External Body
Smith, C., Parnell, W., & Brown, R. (2010). Family food environment: Barriers to acquiring affordable and nutritious food in New Zealand households: Blue Skies Report No. 32/10. Commissioned by Families Commission/Blue Skies Fund. Wellington, New Zealand: Families Commission. 48p.
Journal - Research Article
Smith, C., Galland, B. C., de Bruin, W. E., & Taylor, R. W. (2019). Feasibility of automated cameras to measure screen use in adolescents. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 57(3), 417-424. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.04.012
Galland, B. C., Gray, A. R., Penno, J., Smith, C., Lobb, C., & Taylor, R. W. (2017). Gender differences in sleep hygiene practices and sleep quality in New Zealand adolescents aged 15 to 17 years. Sleep Health, 3(2), 77-83. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2017.02.001
Smith, C., Gray, A. R., Mainvil, L. A., Fleming, E. A., & Parnell, W. R. (2015). Secular changes in intakes of foods among New Zealand adults from 1997 to 2008/09. Public Health Nutrition, 18(18), 3249-3259. doi: 10.1017/S1368980015000890
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
Smith, C., Gray, A. R., Fleming, E. A., & Parnell, W. R. (2014). Characteristics of fast-food/takeaway-food and restaurant/café-food consumers among New Zealand adults. Public Health Nutrition, 17(10), 2368-2377. doi: 10.1017/S1368980013002681
Smith, C., Parnell, W. R., Brown, R. C., & Gray, A. R. (2013). Providing additional money to food-insecure households and its effect on food expenditure: A randomized controlled trial. Public Health Nutrition, 16(8), 1507-1515. doi: 10.1017/s1368980012003680
Smith, C., Parnell, W. R., Brown, R. C., & Gray, A. R. (2013). Balancing the diet and the budget: Food purchasing practices of food-insecure families in New Zealand. Nutrition & Dietetics, 70(4), 278-285. doi: 10.1111/1747-0080.12043
Parnell, W. R., Wilson, N. C., & Smith, C. (2006). Dietary supplements: Prevalence of use in the New Zealand population. Nutrition & Dietetics, 63, 199-205.
Smith, C., Wilson, N. C., & Parnell, W. R. (2005). Dietary supplements: Characteristics of supplement users in New Zealand. Nutrition & Dietetics, 62(4), 123-129. doi: 10.1111/j.1747-0080.2005.00020.x
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper
Parnell, W. R., & Smith, C. (2008). Food security: Current research initiatives, globally and in New Zealand. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand, 33, (pp. 4-13). [Full Paper]
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Smith, C., Gray, A. R., Fleming, E. A., & Parnell, W. R. (2013). Secular trends in consumption of food groups among New Zealand adults. Australasian Medical Journal, 6(11), (pp. 624). [Abstract]
Tey, S. L., Brown, R. C., Gray, A. R., Chisholm, A., Smith, C., Fleming, L., Blakey, C., & Parnell, W. R. (2013). Association of nut consumption with nutrient intakes and cardio-metabolic risk factors: Results from the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey. Australasian Medical Journal, 6(11), (pp. 674). [Abstract]
Brown, R. C., Tey, S. L., Gray, A. R., Chisholm, A., Smith, C., Fleming, L., Blakey, C., & Parnell, W. R. (2013). Prevalence and predictors of nut consumption: Results from the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutritional Survey. Australasian Medical Journal, 6(11), (pp. 640). [Abstract]
Smith, C., Parnell, W. R., & Brown, R. C. (2011). Food expenditure of food insecure families: A reality check. Australasian Medical Journal, 4(12), (pp. 804). [Abstract]
Smith, C., Parnell, W. R., & Brown, R. C. (2011). Food expenditure of food insecure families: A reality check. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society of Australia, 35, (pp. 16). [Abstract]
Smith, C., Parnell, W., & Brown, R. (2010). Achieving food security for New Zealand families: How far can behavioural change take us? Nutrition & Dietetics. 67(Suppl. 2), (pp. 8). doi: 10.1261/j.1747-0080.2010.01440.x
Smith, C., Parnell, W., & Brown, R. (2010). Food purchasing practices of families by socio-economic and food security status. Australasian Medical Journal, 3(1), (pp. 84). doi: 10.4066/AMJ.2010.207
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Miller, J. C., Smith, C., Williams, S., Mann, J. I., Brown, R. C., Parnell, W. R., & Skeaff, C. M. (2013, August). Trends in serum cholesterol and dietary fat intakes of New Zealand adults, 1989 to 2009. Verbal presentation at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Meetings, Queenstown, New Zealand.
Smith, C., Parnell, W. R., & Brown, R. C. (2011, November-December). Food expenditure of food insecure families: A reality check. Verbal presentation at the Joint Annual Scientific Meeting of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand and the Nutrition Society of Australia: Green & Lean, Queenstown, New Zealand.
Smith, C., Parnell, W., & Brown, R. (2010, June). Family food environment: Barriers to acquiring affordable and nutritious food in New Zealand households. Verbal presentation at the Families Commission Research Seminar, Wellington, New Zealand.
