Simon Hales
Biographic Data
| ID | 5554807 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Simon Hales |
| GIVEN NAMES | Simon |
| FAMILY NAME | Hales |
| SIGNATURE | HALES S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Otago |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4529-7595 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 25 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 18 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 23 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1999 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Risk, burden, and trend of infectious disease hospitalisations associated with floods
Australian Research Council, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, National Research Council of Thailand
Respiratory risks from wildfire-specific PM2.5 across multiple countries and territories
Under a warming climate, wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe. Multicountry studies evaluating associations between wildfire fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and respiratory hospitalizations are lacking. Here we evaluate the short-term effects of wildfire-specific PM 2.5 on respiratory hospitalizations from 1,052 communities across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan, during 2000–2019. A 1 μg m …
Health risks of exposure to wildfire-toxic air
Daily Temperatures and Child Hospital Admissions in Aotearoa New Zealand
The influence of global climate change on temperature-related health outcomes among vulnerable populations, particularly young children, is underexplored. Using a case time series design, we analysed 647,000 hospital admissions of children aged under five years old in New Zealand, born between 2000 and 2019. We explored the relationship between daily maximum temperatures and hospital admissions across 2139 statistical areas. We used quasi-Poisson…
Dairy Cattle Density and Temporal Patterns of Human Campylobacteriosis and Cryptosporidiosis in New Zealand
Public health risks associated with the intensification of dairy farming are an emerging concern. Dairy cattle are a reservoir for a number of pathogens that can cause human illness. This study examined the spatial distribution of dairy cattle density and explored temporal patterns of human campylobacteriosis and cryptosporidiosis notifications in New Zealand from 1997 to 2015. Maps of dairy cattle density were produced, and temporal patterns of …
An Assessment of Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation in Dominica
A climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessment was conducted in Dominica, a Caribbean small island developing state located in the Lesser Antilles. The assessment revealed that the country's population is already experiencing many impacts on health and health systems from climate variability and change. Infectious diseases as well as food and waterborne diseases pose continued threats as climate change may exacerbate the rela…
Food safety labelling of chicken to prevent campylobacteriosis
Most consumers are unaware of the level of Campylobacter contamination on fresh chicken and there is a significant but unmet consumer demand for information on safe chicken preparation on labels. Labels on fresh chicken products are a potentially valuable but underused tool for campylobacteriosis prevention in New Zealand
Cryptosporidiosis Risk in New Zealand Children Under 5 Years Old is Greatest in Areas with High Dairy Cattle Densities
Novel use of three administrative datasets to establish a cohort for environmental health research
The NHI was larger than the Census due to record duplication and entries for people residing overseas remaining on file under New Zealand addresses. NHI and QV matching was incomplete due to NHI address data being poor quality or not suitable for matching. To better approximate true hospitalisation rates, studies using the NHI as a cohort should exclude those aged over 90 years; or with ethnic group or Census area unit unknown. Cohort hospitalisa…
Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infection
Potential Distribution of Dengue Fever Under Scenarios of Climate Change and Economic Development
Seasonal patterns of mortality in relation to social factors
BACKGROUND: New Zealand is a temperate country with substantial excess winter mortality. We investigated whether this excess winter mortality varies with social factors. METHODS: Records from New Zealand censuses in 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001 were each anonymously and probabilistically linked to 3 years of subsequent mortality data creating five cohort studies of the New Zealand adult population (age 30-74 years at census) each with 3 years'…
Air pollution and mortality in New Zealand
BACKGROUND: Few cohort studies of the health effects of urban air pollution have been published. There is evidence, most consistently in studies with individual measurement of social factors, that more deprived populations are particularly sensitive to air pollution effects. METHODS: Records from the 1996 New Zealand census were anonymously and probabilistically linked to mortality data, creating a cohort study of the New Zealand population follo…
The opposing effects of climate change and socio-economic development on the global distribution of malaria
SP6-40 Death and hospitalisation have different seasonality
Introduction Seasonality of disease has been long recognised in epidemiology. More recently, researchers have established standard ways of measuring seasonality. In temperate countries there has been a particular interest in excess winter mortality (EWM), and, to a lesser degree, excess winter hospitalisations (EWH). Understanding the aetiology of seasonality is important for identifying interventions and potential future climate change effects. …
P2-366 The global distribution of dengue
Introduction Approximately 2.5 billion people are at risk from dengue. Climate change could drive the epidemic potential of this disease through temperature impacts on both the virus and the mosquito vector. We describe the past and present global distribution of transmission and estimate possible changes to dengue distribution arising from climate change. Methods Two systematic reviews: Geographically defined case reports, and Models of climate …
The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States
BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the number of deaths caused by risk factors is needed for health policy and priority setting. Our aim was to estimate the mortality effects of the following 12 modifiable dietary, lifestyle, and metabolic risk factors in the United States (US) using consistent and comparable methods: high blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and blood pressure; overweight-obesity; high dietary trans fatty acids and sa…
Trends and determinants of excess winter mortality in New Zealand
EWM in NZ is substantial and at the upper end of the range observed internationally. Interventions to reduce EWM are important, but the surprising lack of variation in EWM by ethnicity, region and deprivation, provides little guidance for how such mortality can be reduced
Climate change and human health
Public Health Emergency on Planet Earth
Precautionary Health Risk Assessment
Health Aspects of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Social deprivation and the public health risks of community drinking water supplies in New Zealand
Study objective: Quantitative evidence linking environmental exposures and social status at sub-national scales is surprisingly limited. This study investigated the public health risks associated with community water supplies in relation to social status in New Zealand. Design: An ecological study using a Geographic Information System (GIS) to compare the grade of community water supplies with an index of social deprivation for small areas. Setti…
Potential effect of population and climate changes on global distribution of dengue fever
Asthma prevalence and deprivation
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between the prevalence of asthma symptoms in adults and deprivation in the area of residence. DESIGN: Two complementary surveys carried out between 1991-1993 yielding adult asthma symptom prevalence throughout New Zealand. Deprivation is measured by the NZDep91 index of deprivation for small areas. SETTING: New Zealand. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of 25,042 adults aged 20-50 years. MAIN RESULTS: Afte…
The opposing effects of climate change and socio-economic development on the global distribution of malaria
Asthma prevalence and deprivation
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between the prevalence of asthma symptoms in adults and deprivation in the area of residence. DESIGN: Two complementary surveys carried out between 1991-1993 yielding adult asthma symptom prevalence throughout New Zealand. Deprivation is measured by the NZDep91 index of deprivation for small areas. SETTING: New Zealand. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of 25,042 adults aged 20-50 years. MAIN RESULTS: Afte…
Seasonal patterns of mortality in relation to social factors
BACKGROUND: New Zealand is a temperate country with substantial excess winter mortality. We investigated whether this excess winter mortality varies with social factors. METHODS: Records from New Zealand censuses in 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001 were each anonymously and probabilistically linked to 3 years of subsequent mortality data creating five cohort studies of the New Zealand adult population (age 30-74 years at census) each with 3 years'…
Social deprivation and the public health risks of community drinking water supplies in New Zealand
Study objective: Quantitative evidence linking environmental exposures and social status at sub-national scales is surprisingly limited. This study investigated the public health risks associated with community water supplies in relation to social status in New Zealand. Design: An ecological study using a Geographic Information System (GIS) to compare the grade of community water supplies with an index of social deprivation for small areas. Setti…
Air pollution and mortality in New Zealand
BACKGROUND: Few cohort studies of the health effects of urban air pollution have been published. There is evidence, most consistently in studies with individual measurement of social factors, that more deprived populations are particularly sensitive to air pollution effects. METHODS: Records from the 1996 New Zealand census were anonymously and probabilistically linked to mortality data, creating a cohort study of the New Zealand population follo…
Respiratory risks from wildfire-specific PM2.5 across multiple countries and territories
Under a warming climate, wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe. Multicountry studies evaluating associations between wildfire fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and respiratory hospitalizations are lacking. Here we evaluate the short-term effects of wildfire-specific PM 2.5 on respiratory hospitalizations from 1,052 communities across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan, during 2000–2019. A 1 μg m …
Asthma prevalence and deprivation
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between the prevalence of asthma symptoms in adults and deprivation in the area of residence. DESIGN: Two complementary surveys carried out between 1991-1993 yielding adult asthma symptom prevalence throughout New Zealand. Deprivation is measured by the NZDep91 index of deprivation for small areas. SETTING: New Zealand. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of 25,042 adults aged 20-50 years. MAIN RESULTS: Afte…
Potential effect of population and climate changes on global distribution of dengue fever
Social deprivation and the public health risks of community drinking water supplies in New Zealand
Study objective: Quantitative evidence linking environmental exposures and social status at sub-national scales is surprisingly limited. This study investigated the public health risks associated with community water supplies in relation to social status in New Zealand. Design: An ecological study using a Geographic Information System (GIS) to compare the grade of community water supplies with an index of social deprivation for small areas. Setti…
Precautionary Health Risk Assessment
Health Aspects of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Climate change and human health
Public Health Emergency on Planet Earth
Trends and determinants of excess winter mortality in New Zealand
EWM in NZ is substantial and at the upper end of the range observed internationally. Interventions to reduce EWM are important, but the surprising lack of variation in EWM by ethnicity, region and deprivation, provides little guidance for how such mortality can be reduced
The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States
BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the number of deaths caused by risk factors is needed for health policy and priority setting. Our aim was to estimate the mortality effects of the following 12 modifiable dietary, lifestyle, and metabolic risk factors in the United States (US) using consistent and comparable methods: high blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and blood pressure; overweight-obesity; high dietary trans fatty acids and sa…
The opposing effects of climate change and socio-economic development on the global distribution of malaria
SP6-40 Death and hospitalisation have different seasonality
Introduction Seasonality of disease has been long recognised in epidemiology. More recently, researchers have established standard ways of measuring seasonality. In temperate countries there has been a particular interest in excess winter mortality (EWM), and, to a lesser degree, excess winter hospitalisations (EWH). Understanding the aetiology of seasonality is important for identifying interventions and potential future climate change effects. …
P2-366 The global distribution of dengue
Introduction Approximately 2.5 billion people are at risk from dengue. Climate change could drive the epidemic potential of this disease through temperature impacts on both the virus and the mosquito vector. We describe the past and present global distribution of transmission and estimate possible changes to dengue distribution arising from climate change. Methods Two systematic reviews: Geographically defined case reports, and Models of climate …
Potential Distribution of Dengue Fever Under Scenarios of Climate Change and Economic Development
Seasonal patterns of mortality in relation to social factors
BACKGROUND: New Zealand is a temperate country with substantial excess winter mortality. We investigated whether this excess winter mortality varies with social factors. METHODS: Records from New Zealand censuses in 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001 were each anonymously and probabilistically linked to 3 years of subsequent mortality data creating five cohort studies of the New Zealand adult population (age 30-74 years at census) each with 3 years'…
Air pollution and mortality in New Zealand
BACKGROUND: Few cohort studies of the health effects of urban air pollution have been published. There is evidence, most consistently in studies with individual measurement of social factors, that more deprived populations are particularly sensitive to air pollution effects. METHODS: Records from the 1996 New Zealand census were anonymously and probabilistically linked to mortality data, creating a cohort study of the New Zealand population follo…
Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infection
Novel use of three administrative datasets to establish a cohort for environmental health research
The NHI was larger than the Census due to record duplication and entries for people residing overseas remaining on file under New Zealand addresses. NHI and QV matching was incomplete due to NHI address data being poor quality or not suitable for matching. To better approximate true hospitalisation rates, studies using the NHI as a cohort should exclude those aged over 90 years; or with ethnic group or Census area unit unknown. Cohort hospitalisa…
Cryptosporidiosis Risk in New Zealand Children Under 5 Years Old is Greatest in Areas with High Dairy Cattle Densities
An Assessment of Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation in Dominica
A climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessment was conducted in Dominica, a Caribbean small island developing state located in the Lesser Antilles. The assessment revealed that the country's population is already experiencing many impacts on health and health systems from climate variability and change. Infectious diseases as well as food and waterborne diseases pose continued threats as climate change may exacerbate the rela…
Food safety labelling of chicken to prevent campylobacteriosis
Most consumers are unaware of the level of Campylobacter contamination on fresh chicken and there is a significant but unmet consumer demand for information on safe chicken preparation on labels. Labels on fresh chicken products are a potentially valuable but underused tool for campylobacteriosis prevention in New Zealand
Dairy Cattle Density and Temporal Patterns of Human Campylobacteriosis and Cryptosporidiosis in New Zealand
Public health risks associated with the intensification of dairy farming are an emerging concern. Dairy cattle are a reservoir for a number of pathogens that can cause human illness. This study examined the spatial distribution of dairy cattle density and explored temporal patterns of human campylobacteriosis and cryptosporidiosis notifications in New Zealand from 1997 to 2015. Maps of dairy cattle density were produced, and temporal patterns of …
Daily Temperatures and Child Hospital Admissions in Aotearoa New Zealand
The influence of global climate change on temperature-related health outcomes among vulnerable populations, particularly young children, is underexplored. Using a case time series design, we analysed 647,000 hospital admissions of children aged under five years old in New Zealand, born between 2000 and 2019. We explored the relationship between daily maximum temperatures and hospital admissions across 2139 statistical areas. We used quasi-Poisson…
Respiratory risks from wildfire-specific PM2.5 across multiple countries and territories
Under a warming climate, wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe. Multicountry studies evaluating associations between wildfire fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and respiratory hospitalizations are lacking. Here we evaluate the short-term effects of wildfire-specific PM 2.5 on respiratory hospitalizations from 1,052 communities across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan, during 2000–2019. A 1 μg m …
Health risks of exposure to wildfire-toxic air
Risk, burden, and trend of infectious disease hospitalisations associated with floods
Australian Research Council, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, National Research Council of Thailand
Medicine (23 works) · Environmental health (20 works) · Climate Change and Health Impacts (13 works) · Geography (13 works) · Biology (12 works) · Population (12 works) · Ecology (10 works) · Public health (10 works) · Demography (8 works) · Climate change (7 works)