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Effects of acute caffeine intake on muscular power during resistance exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textBackground: This study examined the effects of caffeine on movement velocity and power output during resistance exercises and explored moderating factors influencing these effects.
Methods: A systematic search of five databases was conducted through June 2025. A random-effects model was used to assess the effect of caffeine on muscular power-related variables, such as bar velocity and power output, during resistance exercises with a fixed number of repetitions. Subgroup analyses were performed based on sex, caffeine dose, habitual caffeine consumption, muscle group, and load.
Results: Twelve studies comprising 230 participants were included. Caffeine significantly improved mean velocity (SMD = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.19–0.65, p 0.01 for subgroup comparison).
Conclusion: Caffeine ingestion enhances movement velocity and power output during resistance exercises, regardless of load. These benefits were more pronounced in males, at higher caffeine doses, among low habitual caffeine consumers, and during lower-body exercises.fals
Teen sleep, emotional well-being and mental health : a qualitative study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Distance, New Zealand
No full textWorldwide and in Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ), adolescents often obtain insufficient sleep and experience poor emotional well-being and mental health. However, limited research explores what adolescents think and experience about their sleep, emotional well-being and mental health. This experiential qualitative study aimed to learn what adolescents' think about their sleep, emotional well-being and mental health and the possible connection between these concepts. Adolescents were given the opportunity to showcase what they do, or would like to do, to get the best possible sleep, emotional well-being and mental health. Further, adolescents voiced what others, such as family and the school could do to improve their emotional well-being, mental health and sleep. Interviews were conducted with 12 adolescents at one North Island ANZ school and data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis yielded six themes and four sub-themes. The ‘Knowing, Doing and Wanting to Do’ theme highlighted that many adolescents knew what impacted their sleep, mental health and emotional well-being, and were taking positive actions to support these concepts, like creating a comfortable sleeping environment. The ‘Who Influences Teen Sleep’, theme indicated that some families were already supporting their adolescents' sleep, while other adolescents noted that there were actions their family, friends or people at school could take to help their sleep. The ‘When I have a Good Sleep, I'm usually Pretty Productive…’, theme portrayed that good or poor sleep influenced productivity and energy levels. The ‘I'm Not Faking it when I'm Not Tired…’ theme showcased how good or poor sleep influenced social interactions. The ‘What’s the Connection Between Sleep, Mental Health, Mood and Emotional Well-being?’ theme highlighted the uni-or-bi-directional connections that good or poor sleep had on mood, mental health and emotional well-being. Lastly, the theme ‘What should we do now? indicated that many adolescents wanted more education at school about mental health, sleep and emotional well-being. This research highlighted that adolescents have a detailed understanding of their sleep, mental health and emotional well-being. The results of the study can inform adolescent health policies, care and interventions, and emphases the need to work with adolescents in these endeavours
The destigmatisation of people with lived experience of methamphetamine use in Aotearoa-New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (by thesis) in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
No full textWhilst only 1.1% of the total population use methamphetamine (or meth), a recent Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ) drug harm ranking study placed methamphetamine second only to alcohol, with estimated societal (personal plus community) harm costs of $8 65 million (Crossin et al., 2023; Mercier, 2024). Significant stigma surrounds meth and people who use meth (PWUM) (Yasbek et al., 2022). Such stigma is multifaceted involving structural, public, associative and self-stigma. Through exploring the perceptions about meth and PWUM, of both the public and subject matter experts, this research project seeks to clarify approaches to destigmatise PWUM in ANZ, ultimately aiming to improve outcomes for those experiencing methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). Accordingly, thirty public and expert participants took part in focus groups and semi structured interviews, with Reflexive Thematic Analysis being used to analyse the transcripts produced. The inclusion of public and expert participants allowed for a comparison of the views of these two groups, highlighting obvious misinformation and potential campaign pitfalls. Seven key themes were produced, namely: the deleterious effects of meth use; the perceived ‘moral failing’ of substance use; the legal versus illegal divide; the portrayal of meth as a ‘bottom-rung’ drug; the courage of recovery; the generation gap and, finally, the systemic shortcomings in treatment. The research subsequently draws upon academic literature, interview analysis and international models of destigmatisation, applied to ANZ’s unique sociopolitical landscape, to suggest pathways for destigmatisation, the aim being to reframe meth use as a health rather than a criminal justice issue. Through policy change, media reform and education, destigmatisation can shift public perception, reduce harm and create recovery pathways not dependent on punitive measures. As will be argued, when the largest driver of stigma, structural stigma, is dismantled through policy reform, public, associative and self-stigma follow. By confronting the biases that fuel stigma, ANZ can move toward a more humane, effective and evidence-based approach to drug use and addiction
A history of lameness is associated with reduced proportions of collagen type I relative to type III in the digital cushions of dairy cattle
No full textHoof horn lesions (HHL) are a highly prevalent and recurrent causes of lameness in dairy cattle globally. The digital cushion is composed of 3 cylinders of adipose tissue embedded in a system of collagenous connective tissue, which are designed to reduce the risk of HHL onset. Previous research has identified that animals with a history of lameness and HHL are more likely to have a reduced digital cushion volume in their lateral digits, but the impact on the histological structure remains unknown. Collagen is an important fibril related to adipose tissue structure and function, but its role in the digital cushion is poorly understood. Our study aimed to examine the proportions of type I and type III collagen within the digital cushions of dairy cattle at cull, and to investigate associations with digital cushion volume, lameness, and HHL occurrence throughout the animal's life. This retrospective cohort study resulted in 599 digital cushions being dissected from the hind feet of 54 animals. Digital cushion tissue underwent picrosirius red staining, combined with systematic random sampling and collagen content analysis. The results described the relative proportions of type I and type III collagen. The proportion of type I collagen was used as the outcome variable in multivariable linear regression models. The median (minimum–maximum) proportion of collagen that was type I contained within the lateral and medial digits was 56.2% (23.6%–83.8%) and 59.6% (13.3%–92.7%) respectively. The proportion of type I collagen was lower in animals that had a history of HHL and lameness throughout their lives. Animals with a lower BCS at cull or that were culled at a later parity had less type I collagen in their lateral digits at cull. Animals with a higher digital cushion volume also had an increased proportion of type I collagen in their lateral digits at cull. Our results have highlighted the histological impact that HHL have on the structure of the digital cushion. We hypothesized that localized inflammation associated with HHL was associated with a remodeling of the adipose tissue within the digital cushion, which would predispose the individual to a future of lameness and HHL.fals
Between two worlds : identity, belonging, and the lived experiences of intercountry adoptees in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology at Massey University, New Zealand
No full textI entered this research with a question: Was I alone in feeling this way? As an intercountry adoptee raised in Aotearoa, New Zealand, I sought to understand whether others shared the same quiet ache—the dislocation, the longing, the feeling of in-betweenness. The life stories collected in this study highlight that such experiences were not singular or exceptional, but part of broader shared trajectories. Stories were shared across countries and generations, revealing personal pain and broader legal, systemic, and historical patterns. What started as a personal search gradually turned to a need to question, understand, and bring visibility to the structures that had long pushed adoptees' experiences to the margins. Intercountry adoption profoundly shapes an adoptee’s identity, belonging, and mental well-being throughout a lifetime. I explore the lived experience of six intercountry adoptees in New Zealand from childhood through adolescence into adulthood, focusing on how they construct and negotiate their identities while facing cultural displacement, systemic barriers, and societal expectations. I draw on qualitative semi-structured life story narrative methodologies and intersecting social constructivist and interpretative epistemologies to amplify the voices of adoptees, uncovering their significant emotional, psychological, and social challenges across the life course. The findings chapters speak to attachment, cultural dislocation, language loss, racialisation, belonging or lack thereof, and identity formation. These stories reveal the enduring impact of disrupted attachments, systemic neglect, cultural erasure and the resilience and meaning-making that emerge through narrative reclamation. Rather than aligning with functionalist or critical perspectives, I offer a third stance that offers space for contradiction. It acknowledges the intimacy of adoptive family relationships and the racialised, political, and economic systems that shape adoption globally and locally. This stance resists binary thinking, inviting more honest, inclusive, and ethically grounded conversations about adoption, identity, and belonging
Perceived Organisational Support, Work-Life Balance, and Employee Engagement and Job Satisfaction: A Moderated Mediation Study of Grandparent Status
No full textWhile older workers have received considerable attention from researchers, far less is known about the work experiences of grandparents. This study examines how perceived organisational support (POS) influences work-life balance (WLB) and work outcomes (employee engagement and job satisfaction) with grandparent status as a moderator. Using a moderated mediation model tested on 783 New Zealand employees (including 155 grandparents) with the PROCESS macro, we find support for all direct effects. Importantly, when POS is high, grandparents report significantly higher WLB than non-grandparents. Moderated mediation analyses further show that the indirect effect of POS on engagement and job satisfaction, via WLB, is strongest for grandparents. These findings position grandparents as a distinct and often under-recognised segment of the workforce, suggesting they may engage with social exchange relationships in unique ways. For HR practice, this recognition goes beyond demographic categorisation—it calls for a critical evaluation of policies related to flexibility, leave, and wellbeing through the lens of later-life caregiving responsibilities. By doing so, HR practitioners can better support the engagement and retention of this group, while researchers are encouraged to consider grandparent status as a meaningful variable in future HRM scholarship.fals
A systematic review and future agenda on continuance intentions in mobile apps
No full textTechnology changes at ever increasing speeds. Therefore, it is crucial for practitioners and academics to understand why users’ intend to continue or discontinue their usage. This paper presents a current and comprehensive systematic literature review on continuance intentions for mobile applications. The review analyzes 119 studies from the Scopus database (January 2019–December 2023) using the PRISMA, SPAR, and TCCM frameworks. It identifies key theoretical models, determinants of mobile app continuance intention, research methods, existing gaps, and future research directions. Findings reveal that several well-recognised theoretical models are frequently applied in the literature on continuance intention. Consequently, the variables derived from these models are among the most commonly measured by researchers. Additionally, the majority of studies in this area employ quantitative methods, with structural equation modelling being most widely used. This review categorises the literature based on mobile application classifications and six distinct sets of factors influencing continuance intention: psychological, technical, social, behavioural, contextual, and barriers. Furthermore, it explores the outcomes associated with continuance intention. The paper identifies two primary areas for future research: the development of a conceptual framework and research design. It also highlights research opportunities related to emerging technologies and the gap between intentions and actual behaviours.fals
Te Pū : tracing the origins of intergenerational trauma through whakapapa to attain intergenerational healing : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
No full textHinengaro, The Obscured Daughter, knows the darkness well. She has been living within it for so long, grown up within it, been shaped by the shadows and sharp thorns that comprise it. She entered this space of darkness as a child, a consequence of her inheritance of Intergenerational Trauma. One day, while lying in her cocoon, a light appeared in the distant horizon, a light so piercing and bright that no matter what she did she could not ignore it. So, she crawled her way up onto shaky legs, pushed her way through the opening of her thorny cocoon, and began walking towards that little bright light, hoping to make it disappear from her sight. This walk turned into a long and intense journey – one that was led by wairua (referring to spirit, spirituality, the spiritual realm), grounded in whakapapa (genealogy), and expressed through wānanga (a process of intergenerational discussions occurring in the physical and spiritual realms). By spiralling through Te Pūtake (An Origin Analysis) and exploring the different dimensions of reality – Te Ao Mārama (the external world), Te Pō (the internal world), Te Kore (the origin experiences), and Te Ao Wairua (the spiritual world) – of both her and her tūpuna (ancestors), Hinengaro was able to release and let go of the trauma, the soul wounds, she had become bound to. She was able to transform herself and her circumstances. From Hinengaro she transformed into Hineoho, The Awakened Daughter. From Hineoho she transformed into Hinewetewete, The Daughter Set Free. And finally, from Hinewetetwete she transformed into Hineora, The Daughter of Healing. Her spiralling journey out of her cocoon, became a journey of Intergenerational Healing – of finally being free
Spectral and Spatial Analysis of Plantar Force Distributions Across Foot-Strike Patterns During Treadmill Running
No full textTreadmill running gait differs to overland running and is commonly used to evaluate interventions. One challenge is accurately defining strike pattern and related impact kinetics. This study aimed to characterise foot-strike patterns during treadmill running using the spatial distribution of in-shoe plantar forces and to identify differences in impact kinetics through spectral analysis. Low- and high-frequency power components were analysed in heel, midfoot and forefoot strike patterns. No distinct impact peaks were identified in the force traces; however, significant spatial differences were found. Forefoot strikes exhibited lower peak impact force, average loading rate, and high-frequency power spectral density (PSD) components compared to heel and midfoot strikes, with heel also lower than midfoot. Strike pattern classification was derived from spatial force distribution, where >70% posterior and >50% anterior denote heel and forefoot strikes, while midfoot strikes demonstrate a more balanced distribution with >25% in the central zone. These findings support the integration of spatial, force-based classification with frequency-domain analysis to enhance the evaluation of impact attenuation in treadmill-based running interventions.fals
How do we get them to stay? : exploring the contribution of organisational theories to rural social worker retention within Aotearoa New Zealand’s South Island : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the requirements of the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
No full textCopyright holders of Figures 3, 4 5 & 7 may use the Take Down Request link below to request their removal.Social workers play an integral part in building the safety and security of vulnerable nga tangata. This vulnerability is heighted in rural communities where nga tangata experience geographical isolation and have less access to services than their urban counterparts. It is therefore essential to ensure the long-term retention of rural social workers so our most vulnerable can be supported along their journey of independence. However, there is little research on rural social worker retention in rural settings like NZ. This thesis explored the contribution and relevance of Push-Pull Theory, Social Exchange Theory, Unfolding Theory, Job Embeddedness Theory, Job Characteristics Theory, and Job Demands-Resources Theory to address this literature gap in NZ. Six rural social workers and three leaders of rural social work organisations were interviewed to explore their personal perspectives of their workplace and wider community. Using qualitative, reflexive thematic analysis within a realist epistemology, transcribed interview data revealed themes of community embeddedness, work conditions, and challenges and opportunities. These findings highlighted the importance of both community and workplace embeddedness as described by Job Embeddedness Theory, yet extended on through pulls and pushes, rewards and costs, shocks and adaptability, job design, and demands and resources. Based on these findings, retention strategies should focus on building an understanding of rural social workers as individuals. Organisations can do so by understanding passions, motivations, and characteristics of their staff, which should be on an ongoing basis and not as a one-off or “tick box” exercise. Additionally, organisations must understand the large impact of the community and associated relationships on their social workers, and how personal resources may impact any associated shocks. A highlighted study limitation was that participants discussed their involvement in the study to others, which risked word spreading fast due to their residence in a rural community. Future, similar research should, therefore, include a more in-depth discussion regarding the importance of confidentiality being protected as much by the participant as the researcher, and the additional confidentiality risks from living in a rural community