Matada Research

23/11/2025

🌺 Pacific and 16 to 24? We want your va**ng story 🎥💨

We are collecting short video diary stories from Pacific youth about their experiences with va**ng. Your voice will help improve support for our communities.

👀 Who can take part
✅ You are 16 to 24
✅ You identify as Indigenous Pacific (Samoan, Tongan, Cook Islands Māori, Niuean, Fijian, Tokelauan, Kiribati and others)
✅ Students are welcome (for example, .college )

🎥 What to do

Record a 30 to 60-second video about va**ng. You can discuss your own experiences or what you observe at school, church, sports, home, or online.

Please make sure to keep your video respectful. Do not show or disclose the names of anyone who has not agreed to participate.

Upload it using the link in our bio.
✔ One video per person
✔ Everyone must agree to the consent form online before submitting

Your video will be used for research only and will not be shared publicly.

💰 Prizes
Up to 60 valid entries will go into the draw to win 1 of 6 prizes of $500.

📅 Deadline
December 20, 2025, or earlier if we receive 60 eligible videos.

Your story. Your community. Your impact.
👉 Submit through the link in bio
👉 Tag a friend who should see this

**ng **ngstories

06/09/2025

A study of over 438,000 people reveals that the location of visceral fat matters more than BMI/ total body weight. But having too little visceral fat can be as dangerous as having too much.

➡️ Men under 50 with minimal visceral fat show 30% higher mortality risk
➡️ Women over 60 need moderate fat levels for protection
➡️ BMI is a weak predictor compared to fat distribution

This explains why some skinny people have health issues while some heavier folks are metabolically healthy. It is not about the number on the scale - it is about fat distribution!

Time to ditch the BMI obsession and focus on body composition.

https://matadaresearch.co.nz/why-we-should-get-rid-of-bmi/

Research reveals that the location of visceral fat in the body matters more than BMI, and here's the reasons why

25/08/2025

Does AI make doctors worse at their jobs?

Research involving 4,000+ patients reveals surprising insights about AI dependence in healthcare:

➡️ AI-assisted colonoscopy improved cancer detection by 24%
➡️ Both expert and novice doctors benefited from technological assistance
➡️Practitioners maintained diagnostic skills despite AI support

The real concern isn't skill loss - it's ensuring balanced implementation that preserves human expertise while harnessing technological advantages.

What's your experience with AI in healthcare?

https://matadaresearch.co.nz/does-ai-make-doctors-worse/

Does AI in healthcare reduce doctor skills? Research on AI-assisted colonoscopy reveals surprising impacts

14/08/2025

AI triage systems are 26.9% more accurate than human assessment, reducing emergency wait times by 30% and saving lives through faster critical patient identification.

New research shows AI triage systems are outperforming human assessment by 26.9%, achieving 75.7% accuracy compared to 59.8% for traditional nurse-led triage. Even more impressive, these systems reduce critical patient mis-triage from 1.2% to just 0.9%.

Key insights from the latest research:
- 30% reduction in emergency department wait times
- Superior accuracy across multiple medical conditions
- Enhanced consistency regardless of staff fatigue or busy periods

This isn't about replacing healthcare professionals - it's about giving them powerful tools to make better decisions faster when seconds count.

What's your experience with emergency department wait times?

https://matadaresearch.co.nz/ai-emergency-efficiency/

AI triage systems can boost emergency department efficiency by 26.9%, reducing wait times and improving patient outcomes.

12/08/2025

Popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT are spreading false medical information that sounds completely convincing.

🚨 Research shows that these widely used AI tools will happily generate detailed explanations for completely made-up medical conditions and treatments when given even a single fake term. The study found that over 2.5 billion daily ChatGPT users are potentially exposed to this medical misinformation, but there's some good news - adding a simple warning note to prompts reduced these dangerous "hallucinations" by about half. 💊

Despite these concerning findings, researchers emphasise that AI still holds massive promise for reducing clinician workload during the ongoing healthcare burnout crisis, as long as proper safeguards and human oversight are maintained.

We need stronger safety measures as AI becomes increasingly embedded in our healthcare systems. 🏥✨

https://medcitynews.com/2025/08/ai-chatbots-healthcare/

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Mount Sinai researchers found that popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT and DeepSeek R1 can generate convincing but false medical information when given even a single fabricated term in a prompt. While the study underscored the need for stronger safeguards, its lead author noted that generative AI still...

10/08/2025

📱💔 A groundbreaking new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association reveals that excessive screen time among children and young adults may be putting their heart health at serious risk. Researchers analysed data from over 1,000 participants in Denmark. They found that increased time on phones, gaming consoles, and other devices was significantly associated with higher risks of cardiometabolic diseases, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance. The most concerning finding was that this link between screen time and heart health risks was strongest among youth who slept fewer hours, suggesting that screens may be "stealing" precious sleep time and creating a dangerous cycle for our young people's health. 😴⚠️

With many adolescents spending 5-6 hours daily on screens, experts are calling for urgent action to address screen habits as a way to protect long-term heart and metabolic health, emphasising that even small reductions in daily screen time could make a meaningful difference across entire populations of children. 🌟💪

https://newsroom.heart.org/news/excessive-screen-time-among-youth-may-pose-heart-health-risks

Research Highlights: Increased time on electronic devices or watching TV among children and young adults was associated with higher cardiometabolic disease risk, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and insulin resistance, based on data from ...

07/08/2025

🚨 New research challenges everything we thought about AI marking systems

While tools like Gradescope claim 90% time reduction and Chinese systems achieve 92% agreement with teachers across 120 million students, the reality is far more complex.

Key findings that should concern every education leader:

➡️ AI accuracy plummets with struggling students (33.89% variation vs 6.70% for good work)
➡️ Students can game systems by adding just 3 words to boost scores by 50%
➡️ Sometimes AI scores are MORE accurate than human teachers
➡️ Less than 10% of schools have formal AI policies

The bottom line? AI marking isn't simple automation - it's a complex socio-technical system requiring substantial validation, training, and governance.

What's your experience with AI assessment tools?

https://matadaresearch.co.nz/ai-marking/

Research reveals AI marking tools reduce teacher grading time by 90% but face critical implementation challenges. Evidence-based insights for

31/07/2025

🚨 New research reveals healthcare AI systems perform 35% worse for patients from lower socioeconomic areas 🚨

The problem isn't just algorithmic, it's structural. Patients with limited healthcare access have systematically incomplete medical records, causing AI models to underperform precisely for those who need accurate predictions most.

Key findings from 3,952 patient analysis:
➡️ 41% more missing asthma data for low-income children
➡️ Standard bias-fixing tools proved ineffective
➡️ ZIP code-level measures miss 20-35% of actual patient socioeconomic status

The solution requires addressing healthcare access barriers, not just tweaking algorithms.

How is your organization auditing AI systems for socioeconomic bias?

CHECKOUT THE ARTICLE

https://matadaresearch.co.nz/socioeconomic-bias-ai/

Healthcare AI systems show 35% higher error rates for low-income patients. Learn how socioeconomic bias in algorithms perpetuates health disparities.

30/08/2023

Last year, in partnership with Te Whatu Ora Health Promotion, we initiated a research project to explore Pacific people's perceptions of va**ng. Today, we are delighted to present the final report summarising our research efforts.

Smoking is a significant concern within Pacific communities, with an alarming 18.9% smoking rate, significantly higher than the national average of 9.2%. Given these high smoking rates and the growing trend of regular va**rs trying to quit, the potential of va**ng as a smoking cessation tool is substantial. However, research underscores that a successful transition hinges on satisfaction and access to suitable va**ng devices. Additionally, the absence of readily accessible scientific information online regarding va**ng's safety and benefits presents a noteworthy challenge, leading individuals to rely on personal experiences and knowledge shared by friends and family members.

Our 2022 study, involving 60 Pacific individuals, contributes valuable insights to the existing knowledge about va**ng in Pacific communities, highlighting six key findings:

1️⃣ Pacific peoples expressed concern about the broader social impacts of va**ng.
2️⃣ Pacific peoples’ knowledge of va**ng is based on personal and social experiences.
3️⃣ Pacific peoples’ decisions to v**e are influenced by their social circles.
4️⃣ Pacific peoples can identify va**ng culture and practices.
5️⃣ Cost and health are the main drivers for changing from smokes to v**es (ENDS).
6️⃣ Pacific peoples have mixed results using va**ng/ENDS to quit smoking.

⬇️ To read more, download our report below ⬇️

This report uses Pacific research methodologies to present Pacific peoples’ attitudes towards va**ng. This report intentionally draws attention to...

17/05/2023

Check out our latest infographic on "Debt Forgiveness: A radical solution to financial instability?" Explore the power of debt forgiveness, its impact on individuals and communities, and innovative implementation ideas. 🌐💰✨

Click here for more: https://pin.it/4Si99Y4

15/05/2023

Debt is an omnipresent reality in our societies, burdening individuals and institutions with bankruptcy, homelessness, and even political instability.

🔍 What is debt forgiveness?
It involves lenders cancelling part or all of a borrower's debt through bankruptcy, settlement, consolidation, or a daring debt jubilee. These approaches offer a fresh start, allowing individuals to rebuild their lives.

📊 The IMF's findings:
IMF research links household debt to economic crises. They recommend debt forgiveness to alleviate burdens, prevent defaults, and safeguard homes. Recent studies support it as an economic stimulant, enhancing demand, consumption, and welfare.

💪 The Importance of debt forgiveness:
It alleviates burdens on individuals, families, and communities. Crushing debt hampers basic needs, causes distress, conflicts, and isolates. It hinders growth, education, and homeownership. Debt forgiveness empowers people to pursue their dreams.

🌡️ Impact on health and well-being:
Debt harms health and well-being. Studies show higher risks of suicidal ideation and mental health conditions like depression. Debt forgiveness relieves burdens, improves mental well-being, and restores overall health.

💼 The wider benefits:
It fuels economic growth, reduces inequality, fulfills moral obligations, and relieves stress and anxiety.

Debt is an omnipresent reality in modern societies. Whether it is consumer debt, student loans, or government debt, many people and institutions...

14/05/2023

🚨 Why is debt forgiveness important? 🚨

Debt forgiveness is essential for alleviating debt burden on individuals, families, and communities. 😓 The weight of debt can prevent people from meeting their basic needs, including food, housing, and healthcare. 💰 Debt can also lead to psychological stress, marital conflict, and social isolation. 🤕 Additionally, debt can act as a barrier to economic growth by limiting individuals' capacity to invest in their education, start a business, or purchase a home.

Research provides substantial evidence that debt can severely affect debtors' health and well-being. 💊 Debt forgiveness has the potential to yield positive changes for the economy and society, benefiting even those without debt. 🌟 It can spur economic growth by freeing individuals from debt and creating more disposable income for spending on goods and services, reduce income inequality, promote positive mental health and wellbeing, and fulfill a moral obligation to aid those struggling with debt. 🙏