The School Health Education and Services (SHES) section of the APHA invites abstracts for oral presentations and posters from those with an interest in the health and well being of students and staff members in preschool, K-12 school, and college settings. Findings from well designed research studies, case studies, policy development and programs regarding current best practices, lessons learned, and policies are invited.  Abstracts should be no more than 250 words.  All presenters must be Individual members of APHA in order to present and must register for the meeting.  Abstracts cannot be presented or published in any journal prior to the APHA Annual Meeting.  Please include learner-centered objectives for oral sessions to qualify for continuing education credit approval. These are needed so we can get ANCC, MCHES, and CHES credit for our sessions.

Should your presentation need technology beyond a computer and projector, such as the internet, please submit to the APHA HIIT center call for abstracts. Should your presentation seek to preview a film, please submit to the  APHA film festival call for abstracts.

Potential topics include:

• College School Safety Polices
  
• Emergency readiness in schools
  
• Innovative school health education pedagogy (e.g., gaming as a teaching technology)
  
• Medication and disease management and schools
  
• Policy Implications for Physical Activity in Schools
  
• School Nutrition Policy
  
• School and Community Linkages to Improve Child Health
  The prevention and treatment of childhood obesity are associated with significant health benefits in youth and schools are an ideal setting to deliver child-centered interventions. Public health experts encourage the application of ecological models and a population approach to enhance program reach, support program sustainability, and improve health outcomes. School-based childhood obesity prevention and treatment models that incorporate more than one sector are more likely to be effective. Abstracts that report impact and outcome evaluation results of school-based prevention and treatment interventions with community or clinical linkages will be given priority. Abstracts will be accepted and reviewed by both the SHES and PHEHP sections to create a collaborative session between section participants and other APHA attendees.
• School health centers and child health
  
• Sexuality Education Policy and Impact
  
• Violence and bullying: School programs and policies
  
• Other topics related to school health and the health of school age children
  

Peer reviewers will assess the suitability of abstracts for presentation on the above format and the following criteria:

1. Significance of study in relation to school health
2. Appropriate methodology
3. Significance of findings/results
4. Quality of conclusions or recommendations
5. Usefulness for supporting or strengthening school health Currently-enrolled health education, nursing, medicine, social work, counseling (and students enrolled in related programs of study) are strongly encouraged to submit abstracts of research work performed to satisfy academic coursework or requirements. Be sure to identify your academic program and institution.

The section will present an award for the “best” student research abstract. Preference will be given to completed research rather than to proposed projects or pilot studies.

 

Continuing Education Credit

APHA values the ability to provide continuing education credit to physicians, nurses, health educators, and those certified in public health at its annual meeting. Please complete all required information when submitting an abstract so members can claim credit for attending your session. These credits are necessary for members to keep their licenses and credentials. For a session to be eligible for Continuing Education Credit, each presenter, panelist, discussant, and/or faculty must provide:

1) an abstract free of trade and/or commercial product names.

2) at least one MEASURABLE SINGLE objective (“to understand” or “to learn” are not measurable objectives and compound objectives are not acceptable). Use ONLY the following Measurable Action Verbs: Explain, Demonstrate, Analyze, Formulate, Discuss, Compare, Differentiate, Describe, Name, Assess, Evaluate, Identify, Design, Define or List.

3) A signed Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form with a relevant qualification statement;

Example of Acceptable Biographical Qualification Statement: (I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple federally funded grants focusing on the epidemiology of drug abuse, HIV prevention and co-occurring mental and drug use disorders. Among my scientific interests has been the development of strategies for preventing HIV and STDs in out-of-treatment drug users.)

Please note that stating “I am a Principal Investigator/Project Coordinator of this project.” is not sufficient since it only gives submitter's job title or position. Please add little more information about your experience and/or background.

4) All continuing education learning content must be of sound science or professional practice and serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills and professional competence of the health professional. Learning content should be evidence-based if available. A list of over 30 areas will be provided online for you to choose from. You will be asked to choose at least one or up to 6 areas that your presentation will address.

Thank you for your assistance in making your session credit worthy. Contact Annette Ferebee at annette.ferebee@apha.org if you have any questions concerning continuing education.

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Ready?

Program Planner Contact Information:

Julie Gast, PhD, MCHES
Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
Utah State University
7000 University BLVD
Logan, UT 84322-7000
Phone: 435-797-1490
Fax: 435-797-3759
julie.gast@usu.edu

and
Christopher Ledingham, MPH, PhD, MCHES
Health and Human Performance
University of Texas at Brownsville
One West University Ave.
Brownsville, TX 78520
Phone: 956-882-5756
christopher.ledingham@utb.edu