CALL FOR ABSTRACTS — APHA 2017 Annual Meeting & Expo

Breastfeeding

Meeting theme: Creating the Healthiest Nation: Climate Changes Health

Submission Deadline: Friday, March 3, 2017

The sections related to breastfeeding (Maternal Child  Health, International Health, Food and Nutrition, etc.) the Breastfeeding Forum, and subcommittees related to breastfeeding are issuing this joint call for abstracts and full session proposals for the 2017 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo in Atlanta, Georgia.

The theme for the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association is “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Climate Changes Health.” We are seeking abstracts in the following areas: 

(1)   Human Milk Expression and Sustained Breastfeeding

(2)   The Intersection of Corporate Practices and Breastfeeding

(3)   From Bench to Population Health: Implications for Breastfeeding Research

(4)   Pharmaceutical Drug Use and Breastfeeding

(5)   The Role of Social Media and Sustained Breastfeeding

(6)   Policies, Interventions, and Practices that support (or inhibit) the right to breastfeed

 These areas are described below.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • You do not need to be a member at the time of submission. However, if your abstract is accepted, then you MUST become a member.
  • ALL presenters MUST be members of APHA at the time of the Annual Meeting.
  • All presenters must give their presentation IN PERSON at the Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA.   
  • From Bench to Population Health
    Emerging research is demonstrating the connection between the biological components of human milk and population health outcomes. To this end, we are actively soliciting abstracts in the following areas:

    • Physiological mechanisms linking breastfeeding to maternal and infant health, with implications for supporting breastfeeding within a public health context.
    • Human milk composition and connections to infant health and development, with implications for supporting breastfeeding within a public health context.
    • The impact of human milk (versus artificial milk) on the infant microbiome, with implications for supporting breastfeeding within a public health context.

    For this topic, we ask that authors be sure to draw connections between bench science and public/population health.

  • Human Milk Expression and Sustained Breastfeeding
    We welcome abstracts that examine human milk expression and pumping in the context of sustained breastfeeding. Issues of interest include but are not limited to…

    • Whether pumping impacts breastfeeding duration,
    • The role of hand expression and/or mechanical expression in the early postpartum period with respect to duration,
    • Whether expression/pumping has an impact on work-place culture/practice vis-à-vis breastfeeding.

    Abstracts that address other issues relating to human milk expression are welcome!

  • Policies, Interventions and Practices that support (or inhibit) the right to breastfeed
    We welcome abstracts that describe researcher / community partnerships to support the right to breastfeed among marginalized populations.

    We also welcome abstracts that discuss intervention / policy strategies that support breastfeeding as a right. Policies/Interventions which demonstrably reduce INEQUITIES in breastfeeding are especially encouraged. It is not sufficient to show that the policy improved breastfeeding, abstracts must demonstrate that the strategy reduced inequities (i.e., did the intervention close the gap?).

    Abstracts that discuss the legal issues surrounding breastfeeding as a right are also encouraged.

    Populations we are particularly interested in – from a rights and equity perspective – include

    • LGBTQ* identified individuals,
    • Indigenous peoples of North America and the Hawaiian Islands,
    • Rural / remote populations,
    • Immigrant populations,
    • Teen mothers
    • Other visible minorities.

    Preference will be given to those abstracts that discuss interventions that support breastfeeding duration – not merely initiation.

  • Prescription/Non-Prescription Drug Use and Breastfeeding
    The Breastfeeding Forum is soliciting research on the impact of prescription / non-prescription drugs on lactation with implications for public health practice. Some areas that will receive preference include:

    • Breastfeeding and persons who use drugs
    • Prescription pharmaceuticals and breastfeeding

    We welcome additional research in this topic area that has implications for public health practice.

  • Social Media and Breastfeeding
    We are calling for abstracts that look at the intersection of social media with breastfeeding. Some areas we would like to learn about include

    • experiences with using social media as a means to support breastfeeding,
    • the role social media may play in shaping attitudes towards infant feeding,
    • how social media integrates with milk expression and/or donor milk,
    • ethical considerations around social media and supporting breastfeeding.

     We also invite other research in this topic area.

  • The Intersection of Corporate Practices and Breastfeeding
    We are interested in abstracts that explore the intersections of corporate and/or business practice with breastfeeding. This topic area can include

    • Support in the workplace for sustained breastfeeding;
    • The role of corporate entities play in shaping the discourse around infant feeding;
    • Current status of adherence to the WHO Code of Marketing and the impact on breastfeeding

     We welcome other topics that explore the intersection of business and breastfeeding.

Novelty
Abstract authors are strongly encouraged to conduct a literature search to ensure that their submission makes a novel contribution to the field of breastfeeding research; it must be clear to reviewers that the submitted abstract makes a unique and innovative contribution to the science of breastfeeding. 

Low Priority Abstracts
Abstracts that discuss other issues related to breastfeeding are welcomed, although they may receive lower priority in the peer-review process. It is important to note that the following types of abstracts will not be considered for oral presentation:

  • Abstracts with incomplete results
  • Abstracts that only discuss initiation or factors that influence initiation, without addressing any other aspect

Abstract Scoring
Abstracts will be scored based on the following criteria:

  • Study aligns with priorities identified in call
  • Study advances our knowledge/discussion around infant feeding
  • Study novelty in terms of topic, methods, and/or study design
  • Methodological rigor as demonstrated by appropriate use of analytic methods for study design
  • Presentation of results is specific, clear, concise
  • Inclusion of measurable learning objectives

Abstracts which lack novelty (in terms of topic, methods, and/or results) will receive very low priority.

Continuing Education
APHA values the ability to provide continuing education credit to physicians, nurses, health educators, and those certified in public health at its annual meeting. 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)  You MUST complete a signed Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form with a relevant qualification statement;

  • Example of Acceptable Biographical Qualification StatementI 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.
  • Example of UNACCEPTABLE Qualification Statement: Please note that stating “I am a Principal Investigator/Project Coordinator of this project.” is NOT sufficient. This only gives submitter's job title or position. Please add more information about your experience and background.

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.

Questions
If you have any questions about this call or the identified priority areas, please contact the Scientific Program Chairs for this joint call.


Ready?

Program Planner Contact Information:

Nathan C. Nickel, MPH, PhD
Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady College of Medicine, Max Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Manitoba
408-727 McDermot Ave
Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P5
Canada
Phone: 2047893666
Nathan_Nickel@cpe.umanitoba.ca