Professor Melody Smith

Biography

Aspirations for neighbourhoods where children can be independently mobile, where people can get around safely by walking and cycling, and where social and physical well-being is prioritised and facilitated are key drivers of my research. Most of this work involves the integration of objective measurement of behaviours and outcomes (e.g., accelerometry, inclinometry, GPS, GIS), as well as person-centred methods (participatory planning, online mapping).

I am fortunate to work with amazing researchers and students across a range of exciting and innovative projects that contribute to understanding the links between built and social environments and health and well-being in children and their families. 

Recent articles:

• Graphic novel of children's neighbourhood perceptions during lockdown
• Objective measurement of children’s physical activity geographies review
• Mobility barriers and enablers and implications for wellbeing of disabled children and young people
• Systematic review of green space and adolescent mental health
• Policies to enable children’s voice for healthy neighbourhoods and communities: a systematic mapping review and case study
• Spatial Lifecourse Epidemiology Reporting Standards (ISLE-ReSt) statement
• Keeping kids safe for active travel to school: A mixed method examination of school policies and practices and children’s school travel behaviour

Research | Current

Kidshare: Perceptions of Neighbourhoods during lockdown: www.tinyurl.com/KidshareNovel

Neighbourhoods for Active Kids: http://kidsinthecity.ac.nz/?page_id=219

Te Ara Mua - Future Streets for Auckland; http://www.futurestreets.org.nz/

Kids in the City: http://kidsinthecity.ac.nz/?page_id=52

Enabling Participation for Disabled Children and Young People: http://kidsinthecity.ac.nz/?page_id=247

Postgraduate supervision

CURRENT

PhD

Tiffany Williams (primary): Beyond the Buzz: Understanding the Experiences of Participants, Practitioners and Researchers and the Process of Co-Design with Children

Michelle Adams (primary): Parenting Grandchildren: Challenges and Opportunities for Aging Well

Yijun Zhang (primary): Green space and its role for adolescent well-being

Tessa Pocock (primary): Positive ageing in Auckland communities: Exploring relationships between the built and social environments of older adults at risk of frailty and their perceptions of ageing in place

Jamie Hosking (secondary): Low-carbon routes to health equity: the impacts of transport policy on health equity,

population health and greenhouse gas emissions

Jennifer Woods (secondary): Improving Māori Success in Achieving Clinical, Academic and Management Roles within the Health Sector in New Zealand

Margaretha Situmorang (third): Food outlet availability, snacking behaviours, and school travel patterns in adolescents

Masters/honours theses

Ellie Davies (primary): Patient satisfaction with pain management after surgery - the role of preoperative education

Ashleigh Karreman (primary): Child and family health care assessment. Standardized and/or child health needs assessment models/frameworks

 

COMPLETE

Doctoral theses

Fiona Yu, 2021 (primary): Exploring Resilience in Intensive Care Nurses in New Zealand

Tamara Bozovic (secondary): Quality of the walking environment and difficulties to access local destinations

Erika Ikeda, 2019 (primary): Associations between Environmental Attributes and Children’s Active Travel to School

Victoria Egli, 2019 (primary): Neighbourhoods for Healthy Kids: A child-centred investigation into the role of the built environment on child body size

Moushumi Chaudhury, PhD, 2017 (primary): Public Open Space Attributes in Relation to Children’s Independent Mobility Experience in Urban Auckland, New Zealand

Stephanie Schoeppe, 2014 (tertiary): Child independent mobility and active travel: Methods, measures, and associations with physical activity and sedentary behaviour

Lisa Mackay, 2013 (secondary): Physical activity profiling of New Zealand adults: a study of adults with and without young children

Nicholas Garrett 2013 (secondary): Local places for physical activity: how important are they?

Masters theses

Jo Thomson 2020 (primary): What is the experience of families and Healthcare Professionals of having an obesity diagnosis discussion in Kidz First Emergency Department?

Jency Jacob 2019 (primary): The Course of Postoperative Pain following Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

Julia McPhee, 2015 (secondary): Exploring the acceptability of and adherence to a carbohydrate-restricted, high fat diet as an instrument for weight-loss in women aged 40-55 years

Victoria Barton, 2014 (primary): Controlled trial of strategies to increase fundamental movement skills in preschoolers

Losi Sa'u Lilo, 2013 (secondary): Health literacy among Pacific mothers in New Zealand: Exploring the associations of demographic and behavioural factors with health literacy of Pacific mothers in the context of Pacific health and well-being

Janine Shepherd, 2010 (secondary): The associations between cardiovascular disease risk factors, self reported and objectively measured physical activity, and happiness

Distinctions/Honours

Health Research Council of New Zealand Sir Charles Hercus Research Fellow 2017-2021

National Heart Foundation of New Zealand Postdoctoral Research Fellow 2008-2011

Tertiary Education Commission Bright Futures Scholar 2006-2008