Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Mo' Indexing

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  • Michael Stevens,

    Yeah, I saw the cocaine use and thought "What?!?! I don't think so..." but never let the facts get in the way of a good headline.

    Looking forward to looking through the new NZDep stuff - should be fascinating (It's the sociologist in me)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 230 posts Report

  • dc_red,

    Exactly. Another headline for a report on the same data might read: "1 in 25 NZers try cocaine at some point in lifetime."

    To which my reaction would be, "Meh".

    But this kind of b/s makes me tempted to go out on a Hunter S. Thompson style binge, and try and nudge the national average that much higher to 100% on every count.

    I'll start with an Amstel Light to cover the alcohol thing.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report

  • Morgan Davie,

    I love the extensive and detailed discussion of the map project, the problems of interpretation, dangers of ill-considered use, etc.

    It strikes me as an extremely well-documented project that is very sensitive to its impact. Neat. (It's political correctness gone magic!)

    Wellington • Since May 2008 • 36 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    It's political correctness gone magic!

    Actually, that's a really neat way of characterising it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Thom James,

    Did you know that New Zealand also has the world's highest instance of meaningless statistics???

    Auckland • Since Apr 2007 • 63 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    And just like that, someone from MSD got in touch to answer my question about New Zealand's large sample size in the WHO survey:

    The New Zealand study included in this report is "Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand Mental Health Survey". The large sample size probably reflects the fact that this was the first comprehensive study of its kind of the New Zealand population for some time, and is sampled to allow for meaningful analysis and understanding of the mental health of many gender and ethnic sub-groups. (Because many mental health events are rare events, sample sizes need to be large to generate reliable statistics.)

    Perhaps other countries' studies were more specifically drug-focused, or less concerned with subgroup analysis, and so able to use smaller samples.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Did you know that New Zealand also has the world's highest instance of meaningless statistics???

    Show me the figures to support that!

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report

  • Jim Cathcart,

    Interesting to see that Ponsonby still has a pocket of "most deprived". Deprived of "what"? This season's Issey Miyake?

    Since Nov 2006 • 228 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    They deliberately oversampled Maori and Pacific populations in the Te Rau Hinengaro survey, which makes the overall sample large. In contrast with the social focus of the NZDep Atlas, the survey is very much framed in clinical terms. You can find it here:
    http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/by+unid/3195F8D3155E1C2ACC2571FC00131A6D?Open

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • George Darroch,

    Deprived of "what"? This season's Issey Miyake?

    There are still pockets of poverty there. Small, but real.

    I'm disappointed that this current index is all in red. I found the red/green of the last one much easier to understand. I can see why they've changed - red/green would be a nightmare for the colourblind, but would find another two colour gradient easier to take in. A minor quibble with an otherwise excellent visualisation of data.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Che Tibby,

    Another headline for a report on the same data might read: "1 in 25 NZers try cocaine at some point in lifetime."

    To which my reaction would be, "Meh".

    same.

    i'd love to see if there is a correlation between anti-drug hysteria and drug consumption.

    anecdotal evidence would suggest, "yes". how many kids do you know who've smoked pot only because it's illegal?

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report

  • Che Tibby,

    They deliberately oversampled Maori and Pacific populations in the Te Rau Hinengaro survey, which makes the overall sample large.

    can we have a please explain?

    a large sample size is de rigeuer. do you mean that they overlaid some stats to inflate impacts? </che exposes lack of knowledge about statistical analysis, again>

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Interesting to see that Ponsonby still has a pocket of "most deprived". Deprived of "what"? This season's Issey Miyake?

    I'd have to look again, but i think that was a retail strip. There are evidently some quirks where it comes to places where people don't actually live.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Mikaere Curtis,

    Yeah, I saw the cocaine use and thought "What?!?! I don't think so..." but never let the facts get in the way of a good headline.

    Then again, I wonder if they considered that fact that an OE is commonplace, and that cocaine is readily available in the primary OE destination - London. So the 4% is not so much a measure of NZ, but more a measure of the narcotic lollyshop that is London.

    Tamaki Makaurau • Since Nov 2006 • 528 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    __They deliberately oversampled Maori and Pacific populations in the Te Rau Hinengaro survey, which makes the overall sample large.__

    can we have a please explain?

    a large sample size is de rigeuer. do you mean that they overlaid some stats to inflate impacts? </che exposes lack of knowledge about statistical analysis, again>

    No, they'd have re-weighted the data. They just wanted to get the best possible data for that target group, which you do by increasing the sample size.

    [Sez Brown, with none o' them fancy degree things at all ...]

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Reading the news, a person could be forgiven for thinking that New Zealand had the world's second-highest rate of cocaine use.

    There are times when reading the news makes it all too plausible that there are a hell of a lot of people out there who've been on the nose candy for a loooong time. Hallucinations, paranoid delusions, elevated blood pressure and increased risk of stroke and heart failure after prolonged use. It's the only way I can rationalise television news and current affairs. :)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Then again, I wonder if they considered that fact that an OE is commonplace, and that cocaine is readily available in the primary OE destination - London. So the 4% is not so much a measure of NZ, but more a measure of the narcotic lollyshop that is London.

    I recal in the late 90s the usual kvetching about the outflow of our young folk to London. There were lots of possible reasons cited in the media.

    But as a twentysomething friend of a friend said: "I'm here for the five quid Es!"

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • 81stcolumn,

    But as a twentysomething friend of a friend said: "I'm here for the five quid Es!"

    Should have gone to Chatham for them......

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report

  • George Darroch,

    I'd have to look again, but i think that was a retail strip.

    It's that block or two between Richmond Rd (beside the Foodtown) and Trinity St.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Che Tibby,

    Sez Brown, with none o' them fancy degree things at all ...

    don't fret. checked with a stats guy here at work, and he says oversampling is good as long as it's handled correctly

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report

  • George Darroch,

    Which is coincidentally right next to APNs offices. If they sent their people across the road...

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Neil Graham,

    No, they'd have re-weighted the data.

    You hope. The Mental Health Survey says they did weighting in their methodology section, but as for the substance portion, presumably they just lifted that section tor the WHO report.

    The data may have been weighted at that stage, or they may have done the weighting themselves, I wouldn't be prepared to put money on it though.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 118 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Which is coincidentally right next to APNs offices. If they sent their people across the road...

    No, that *was* New Zealand Magazines, but they've been in the main APN building in town for about two years now. What used to be the foyer is now the excellent Richmond Road Cafe.

    But that pocket across the road does make sense now -- I think there are some legacy Housing NZ properties there.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Ross Bell,

    The media response to the drug survey has, ironically (considering tonight's Media 7 discussion), been very good. Stuff ran an NZPA summary with the headline “Kiwis second highest drug users – study”, so no brownie points for them. But all other interviews I’ve done today have been really good at putting the results into context. Indeed, all journos I’ve spoken to today where already very skepitcal about the coke findings.

    However, no surprise to guess who said this: “Latest international cannabis use figures prove that New Zealand is descending into 'the world's gutters'."

    Wellington, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 175 posts Report

  • Ross Bell,

    The media response to the drug survey has, ironically (considering tonight's Media 7 discussion), been very good. Stuff ran an NZPA summary with the headline “Kiwis second highest drug users – study”, so no brownie points for them. But all other interviews I’ve done today have been really good at putting the results into context. Indeed, all journos I’ve spoken to today where already very sceptical about the coke findings.

    However, no surprise to guess who said this: “Latest international cannabis use figures prove that New Zealand is descending into 'the world's gutters'."

    Wellington, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 175 posts Report

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