Helen Viggers

B.E.(Hons), DPH, GradDipApplStat
Research Fellow, University of Otago, Wellington

Helen's public health research has centred around three areas:

1.            The effect of home warmth interventions on health. The interventions examined have been those that might feasibly be reproduced on a policy scale (insulation, sustainable heating, fuel vouchers for vulnerable people). The health consequences examined include both objective measures (e.g. doctors’ visits), and subjective measures (e.g. self-reported wellbeing).

2.            Household fuel use and temperature. This includes work on fuel poverty, and drivers of fuel use as well as the spatial variation of fuel use in New Zealand.

3.            The factors associated with household transience, and the location of the family dwelling. She has also done some work on homelessness.

Helen trained originally in engineering, and enjoys applying her quantitative skills in the realm of public health. She has worked on the Housing, Insulation and Health study, and the Housing, Heating and Health study; and is currently working on the Warm Homes for Elder New Zealanders study.

Key publications

  1. Viggers, H.
    Keall, M.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    (2021).
    Towards dwelling energy certification for New Zealand: Normalisation issues.
    Kōtuitui,
    Online.
  2. Viggers, H.
    Amore, K.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    (2021)
    Housing that lacks basic amenities in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2018: A supplement to the 2018 Census estimate of severe housing deprivation.
    Commissioned by Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga/Ministry of Housing and Urban Development

     

    Download document
    Housing-that-Lacks-Basic-Amenities-in-Aotearoa-New-Zealand-2018.pdf
  3. Viggers, H.
    Keall, M.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Wickens, K. Ingham, T. Davies, C. Chapman, R.
    Crane, J.
    (2019).
    Effect of an electricity voucher on electricity use.
    Energy Policy,
    134, 110985.
  4. Ingham, T.R.
    Keall, M.
    Jones, B. Aldridge, D. Latimer, M. Dowell, A. Davies, C.
    Crane, J.
    Draper, J.B. Bailey, L.O.
    Viggers, H.
    Stanley, T.V. Leadbitter, P.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    (2019).
    Damp mouldy housing and early childhood hospital admissions for acute respiratory infection: a case control study.
    Thorax,
    74: 849–857.
  5. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Chisholm, E.
    Telfar-Barnard, L.
    Viggers, H.
    O'Sullivan, K.
    Bennett, J.
    Bierre, S.
    Preval, N.
    Tiatia, R.
    Ombler, J.
    Amore, K.
    Rivera-Muñoz, G. Davies, C.
    Aspinall, C.
    Oliver, J.
    Baker, M.
    Keall, M.
    Crane, J.
    Pierse, N.
    (2017).
    Housing, energy and health in resilient cities.
    Cities in New Zealand: Preferences, patterns and possibilities,
    Howden-Chapman, L. Early & J. Ombler (Eds.), (pp. 95-106). Wellington, New Zealand: Steele Roberts Aotearoa.
  6. O'Sullivan, K.
    Telfar-Barnard, L.
    Viggers, H.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    (2016).
    Child and Youth Fuel Poverty: Assessing the Known and Unknown.
    People, Place and Policy,
    10(1), 77-87. DOI: 10.3351/ppp.0010.0001.0006
  7. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Viggers, H.
    Chapman, R.
    O'Sullivan, K.
    Telfar-Barnard, L.
    Lloyd, B.
    (2012)..
    Tackling cold housing and fuel poverty in New Zealand: a review of policies, research and health impacts.
    Energy Policy,
    49, 134-142.
  8. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Viggers, H.
    Chapman, R. O'Day, D. Free, S.
    O'Sullivan, K.
    (2009).
    Warm Homes: drivers of demand for heating in the residential sector in New Zealand.
    Energy Policy,
    37(9), 3387-3399
  9. Chapman, R.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Viggers, H.
    O'Day, D. Kennedy, M.
    (2009).
    Retrofitting housing with insulation: a cost-benefit analysis of a randomised community trial.
    Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health,
    63(4),
  10. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Pierse, N.
    Nicholls, S.
    Bennett, J.
    Viggers, H.
    Cunningham, M. Phipps, R. Boulic, M. Fjallstrom, P. Free, S. Chapman, R. ...
    Baker, M.
    Cunningham, C.
    ...
    Crane, J.
    (2008).
    Effects of improved home heating on asthma in community dwelling children: randomised community study.
    BMJ,
    337(a1411), 852-5. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.a1411
  11. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Matheson, A.
    Crane, J.
    Viggers, H.
    Cunningham, M. Blakely, T.
    Cunningham, C.
    Woodward, A.
    Saville-Smith, K.
    O’Dea, D. Kennedy, M.
    Baker, M.
    Waipara, N. Chapman, R. Davie, G.
    (2007).
    Effect of insulating existing houses on health inequality: cluster randomised study in the community.
    BMJ,
    334, 460. doi:10.1136/bmj.39070.573032.80
    Download document
    Effect-of-insulating-existing-houses-on-health-inequality-cluster-randomised-study-in-the-community.pdf
  12. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Crane, J.
    Matheson, A.
    Viggers, H.
    Cunningham, M. Blakely, T. O’Dea, D.
    Cunningham, C.
    Woodward, A. Saville-Smith, A.
    Baker, M.
    Waipara, N.
    (2005).
    Retrofitting houses with insulation to reduce health inequalities: Aims and methods of a clustered, randomised community-based trial
    Social Science and Medicine,
    61(12, 2600-2610.
    Download document
    Insulation-proofs.pdf
  13. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Viggers, H.
    Matheson, A.
    Crane, J.
    Waipara, N. Blakely, T. Cunningham, M.
    Cunningham, C.
    Woodward, A. O’Dea, D.
    Saville-Smith, K.
    Douwes, J. Marshall, C. Skelton, P.
    (2002)
    A national study of the health effects of insulating homes: the baseline data (Report 2).
    University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    A national study of the health effects of insulating homes: the baseline data (Report 2), August 2002. He Kainga Oranga Housing and Health Research Programme Department of Public Health Wellin

    Download document
    A national study of the health effects of insulating homes_ the baseline data Report 2.pdf
  14. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Crane, J.
    Blakely, T. Cunningham, M. O’Dea, D. Woodward, A.
    Saville-Smith, K.
    Waipara, N. Douwes, J. Matheson, A.
    Viggers, H.
    Marshall, C. Skelton, P.
    (2002)
    A national study of the health effects of insulating homes: the baseline data (Report 1).
    University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    A national study of the health effects of insulating homes: the baseline data (Report 1), March 2002. He Kāinga Oranga Housing and Health Research Programme Department of Public Health Welling

    Download document
    A national study of the health effects of insulating homes_ the baseline data 2002.pdf

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