Kia ora,
We hope that 2024 is has been a good year for you and your loved ones.

Latest survey wave completed

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who took part in our recent survey of people who smoke or have recently quit. EASE is an important health survey and we really appreciate your participation. The Wave 5 survey closed in September. A total of 1,453 people took part, from all over the country, and from various age groups, walks of life and ethnic groups.

What happens next?

Great news! We’ve got funding from the New Zealand Health Research Council to keep going with the survey. We hope you’ll be willing to take part again. The next wave (Wave 6) will happen at the end of 2025 or early 2026. We’ll get in touch again before then to let you know the exact timing and invite you to join in.

Where can I find out about the findings of the EASE survey?

We have been busy analysing the Wave 3 and 4 data, and you can read about the findings on the project website: www.otago.ac.nz/EASEYou can also find out more about the survey and the people and organisations involved on the website.

Meet the team

The EASE survey is led by Professor Richard Edwards and Associate Professor Andrew Waa (Ngāti Hine) who work with a team of researchers, including Professor El Shadan Tautolo, our Pacific lead.

In each of these newsletters we spotlight one of the team, this time Dr Janine Nip. Janine is the powerhouse of the EASE team. Since she joined us just over two years ago we have dramatically increased our productivity! Janine trained as a doctor and she worked on clinical trials and developing clinical guidelines before shifting her focus to population health. She lives in the Wairarapa with her husband and son and enjoys travelling.

The EASE team wish you and your whānau all the best for the festive season and the year to come.