Plans for the FN Sessions
The FN Section is seeking abstracts and full panel session proposals that highlight research, evidenced-based practice, policies, and theoretical ideas. Abstracts that combine nutrition with other disciplines such as physical activity, maternal and child health, environmental health, transportation, land use, communications, and/or other disciplines are of particular interest.
The FN Section seeks both international and domestic representation, with a particular interest in programs and interventions that serve populations most affected by diet-related diseases and strives to address health equity.
Student abstracts are strongly encouraged. The FN Section will present an award to the highest scoring student abstract at the section awards ceremony in Denver, CO. Award recipients must attend the conference, or forfeit their award.
The final program will be a mix of 1) poster and oral sessions compiled from individually-contributed abstracts, 2) full panel sessions, fully compiled and coordinated by submitting parties and 3) invited sessions on important topics identified by section leadership.
Submissions of individual abstracts and full session proposals are due February 25, 2016.
PRESENTER AND PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS
All persons making a presentation at the Annual Meeting & Exposition must pay a registration fee in order to participate in the program. All persons presenting an abstract must become individual members of APHA and must register for the annual meeting in order to make their presentations. APHA does not pay honoraria or expenses to any presenter.
Presentations may not be submitted to multiple Sections, SPIGs, Caucuses or Forums and may be presented only one time during the Annual Meeting & Expo. The presentation may not be presented or published prior to the APHA Annual Meeting.
DESCRIPTION OF ABSTRACT/PRESENTATION TYPES
Research Presentations
Abstracts describing scientific research should focus on new knowledge of public health nutrition issues. Abstracts must include the following four elements (please include these section headings in your abstract text): 1) INTRODUCTION – purpose and background of topic/issue; 2) METHODS –research methodology in terms of data collection and study design; 3) RESULTS – specific study findings. For studies in progress, list results or outcomes that will be presented at APHA; and, 4) DISCUSSION - importance or significance of the findings.
Program or Policy Presentations
Program or policy abstracts should describe the application of knowledge to real-world problems or policies. Many times these types of abstracts are referred to as public health in practice. Abstracts must include the following four elements (please include these section headings in your abstract text): 1) INTRODUCTION –problem statement and background of program, topic, or issue; 2) APPROACH – program development, implementation, and/or evaluation; strategies/policies to address problem 3) RESULTS – program or policy impact and, 4) DISCUSSION - importance or significance of the program or policy.
TOPICS OF INTEREST
All applicants are encouraged to consider an abstract’s relevance to the 2016 Annual Meeting theme, “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Ensuring the Right to Health.” Additionally, individual abstracts should be submitted to one of the topics listed below. Please note that these topics are used for sorting purposes only. While we would like you to select and submit under the category that best represents the focus of your abstract, abstracts will not be evaluated based on their ability to fit within a given topical area.
INDIVIDUAL ABSTRACT CONTRIBUTIONS
Individual abstract contributions are welcome. Program planners will combine accepted individual abstracts into 90 minute oral sessions (4-5 individual abstracts of 10-20 minute oral presentations) and poster sessions (sets of 10 posters organized and presented together within a 60 minute session). Program planners might also elect to organize a 90 minute roundtable session encompassing up to 10 individual abstracts for a topic.
Please indicate in your submission the preferred type of presentation (oral only, poster, or no preference). Your indication of no preference will allow your abstract to be considered for a greater number of session types.
Please indicate in the comment box the type of abstract you are submitting (Research/Theoretical Idea, or Program/Policy).
Abstract text should be no less than 150 words and no more than 250 words.
Include 2-3 measurable objectives with your abstract (see continuing education credit instructions below; although only 1 objective for CE is required the section would like 2-3 objectives).
Abstracts should be free of trade and commercial product names including, for example, Wal-Mart, SPSS, Stata, ArcGIS, Food ProcessorSQL, Dun & Bradstreet, and InfoUSA.
Persons submitting individual abstracts will be notified by email regarding the status of their submissions by June 1, 2015.
To review examples of accepted abstracts from past meetings, click on the following link:
http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual/past-and-future-annual-meetings
FULL PANEL SESSION PROPOSALS
Persons submitting full session proposals must send a session overview to the FN Section Program Planning Chair AND submit all individual abstracts for each speaker online by above mentioned deadline.
Proposals for full panel sessions are welcome. Full panel sessions are comprised of invited speakers who will address different aspects of the same topic of interest or a set of closely related topics. They generally include a session introduction by a moderator, 3-4 key presenters, and a discussant.
All proposals should contain an overview document (should not exceed two pages, single-spaced) with the following information in the order listed below:
Session organizer’s name, affiliation, complete mailing address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers (on top of page 1);
Brief overview including the title and relevance (purpose and importance) of the proposed session;
Two to three learning objectives for the session (see continuing education credit instructions below);
List of proposed invited speakers (including any discussant or presiding individual), their affiliations and proposed presentation topics, and individual abstract submission numbers. DO NOT SUBMIT INDIVIDUAL ABSTRACT TEXT AS PART OF THIS DOCUMENT.
Session Timeline/Agenda: Detailed schedule for an hour and a half session. Please list the start and end time for each moderator, presenter, and discussant, the presenter’s name (underlined) and all other authors and 1-3 sentences on the goal of the specific presentation. Please begin the session timeline at 0:00 hrs and end it at 1:30. Presentations may be up to 30 minutes in length.
Due to the large number of abstracts the FN section receives each year, failure to follow this format and adhere to the 2 page maximum will result in your proposal not being considered for inclusion in the program.
The overview document for all full panel session proposals - as outlined above - must be submitted by email to the FN Program Chair by February 25. These are not submitted through the online system.
In addition to the proposal overview document, a complete abstract for each proposed presentation will need to be submitted online via the contributed abstracts system by February 25. Abstracts are not required for the session introduction or discussion. Each abstract must follow the format guidelines for individually contributed abstracts and include 2-3 measurable learning objectives (see continuing education credit instructions below).
When invited speakers/panelists for full panel sessions submit their abstracts online, they should write in the comment box "I am an invited panel member." Once the panelist receives his/her abstract number, he/she must send it to the session organizer who is in turn responsible for sending all abstract numbers to the FN Section Program Planning Chair. This ensures that all panelists in the full/invited session are placed together.
If a full panel session is not accepted as proposed, the individual abstracts for the session submitted online will still be considered for the program (if the speakers would like) and may be assigned to the session(s) in which they fit best.
We encourage full panel sessions to allow time for discussion and questions from the audience. In the past, point/counterpoint and panel discussions that engage the audience have been well received. This format should be highlighted in the submission text and timeline.
If the session will include the release of any new reports or data, this should be mentioned in the proposal, along with any plans to promote the session to news media.
All sessions will be reviewed by the FN Section Program Planning Committee and the Session Chair. Acceptance notices will be sent to full session organizers no later than June 1, 2016. Please consider that proposals are competitive. If accepted, organizers and presenters will be requested to complete a conflict of interest disclosure.
Full panel session overviews should be sent to:
Megan Lott, MPH, RDN
2016 Food & Nutrition Section Program Chair
Healthy Eating Research, Duke University
Durham, NC
Phone: 919-613-6282
Email: apha.fnprogram@gmail.com
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Individual abstracts and full panel session proposals will be evaluated based on the same criteria. The criteria are broad to allow for the evaluation of science, policy, and public health practice proposals. They are: 1) Relevance to public health nutrition; 2) Originality of work; 3) For Research Sessions - Sound conceptual framework, Defined Research Methodology, and Study Design; 4) For Policy/Program Sessions: Defined approach, program design, and importance or significance of program or policy and its relevance to advancing the field; 5) Defined outcomes/evaluation; 6) Quality of writing; and 7) Potential Impact to Public Health
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:
Explain, Demonstrate, Analyze, Formulate, Discuss, Compare, Differentiate, Describe, Name, Assess, Evaluate, Identify, Design, Define or List.
Ready?
Megan Lott, MPH, RD
Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University
Healthy Eating Research
310 Trent Drive
001 Trent Hall
Durham, NC 27708
Phone: 9196136282
megan.lott@duke.edu
and
Maya Maroto, EdD, MPH, RD
Nutrition Education and Promotion Branch
USDA Food and Nutrition Service
3101 Park Center Drive
6th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22302
Phone: 703-605-3210
maya.maroto@fns.usda.gov
and
Amber Canto, MPH, RDN
University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension
432 N. Lake St
Room 329
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: 608-262-0384
amber.canto@ces.uwex.edu