**PLEASE READ THIS CALL IN ITS ENTIRETY BEFORE SUBMISSION** 

Please click here to download our 2018 call for abstracts.

The abstract submission deadline has been extended to February 25th at 11:59 pm pacific time.

The Women's Caucus (established in 1970) represents the health care needs, interests, and demands for expanded women's health research, intervention and treatment services, and reproductive rights. The Caucus develops programs exploring a range of women's health issues, needs, and emerging topics. The Caucus also works closely with APHA, other Caucuses (e.g., the Men's Health Caucus), the Committee on Women's Rights, and various Sections (e.g., Population, Reproductive and Sexual Health; Maternal and Child Health) to develop public health policy on behalf of women of all ages.

SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT TO THE WOMEN'S CAUCUS

The Women's Caucus invites abstracts (250 words maximum) on any topic related to the lives and health of women of all ages. The Caucus is particularly interested in social, cultural, environmental, and political contexts of women's health across the lifespan. The Women's Caucus welcomes conceptual abstracts that discuss emerging trends in women's health, as well as data-driven abstracts.

For the APHA 2018 Annual Meeting & Expo, the Women's Caucus is interested in topics consistent with the theme of the meeting - Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health Equity Now. We welcome submissions that are novel, related to emerging issues in the lives and health of women, and focus on the impact of rights on women's health and well-being. The session topics are preliminary and do not reflect the precise content of the final program, which will be based on peer-review evaluations, program theme, and diversity of topics.

Topics/Subtopics:

• Access to care and healthcare delivery
  
• American Indian, Alaska Native, & Native Hawaiian women's health
  
• Gender-based violence, sexual assault & trauma
  
• Health of special populations, including but not limited to women in prison, sexual minority women, & sex workers
  
• Mental health needs of women
  
• Reproductive health ( including menstruation)
  
• Sexually transmitted infections
  
• Social, cultural, environmental & political contexts of women's health
  
• Women's health across the lifespan (including teen, maternal and child, peri-menopausal, menopausal & older women)
  
• Women's health disparities (including minority & rural health)
  
• Women's health post-election
  
• Other
  

Only listed authors who are both APHA members and registered for the Annual Meeting may present accepted work. Only one author may present each abstract; multiple presenters for one abstract will not be accepted. Neither APHA nor the Women's Caucus can provide any financial support (including, but not limited to, registration, airfare, lodging, etc.) for author attendance at the Annual Meeting.

***Individuals should submit an abstract only if they (or a co-author) are committed to presenting the paper or poster themselves or to finding a substitute willing to register, attend the meeting, and present the paper or poster instead. Invitations to present will be withdrawn should authors of award abstracts be unable to present at the Annual Meeting, and last-minute cancellations and no-shows at the Annual Meeting WILL affect future participation in the Women's Caucus program.

GUIDELINES
(Abstracts that do not follow these guidelines will not be reviewed)

1. In most cases, structured abstracts are preferred. All research abstracts should be submitted with five sections: background/significance, objective/purpose, methods, results, and discussion/conclusions.

2. Do not include in-text citations in any of the abstract sections, or a list of references.

3. Do not include brand or trade names in the title and/or text of the abstract; generic names are required for continuing education purposes. Women's Caucus prides itself on having most (if not all) of its sessions approved for continuing education units (CEUs). The inclusion of brand or trade names would result in CEUs being denied to an entire session. If you are in doubt as to whether or not a particular name falls into this category, please contact the program chair or co-chairs for verification before you submit your abstract(s).

4. All abstracts must be submitted with at least two learning objectives in the proper APHA format (i.e., "By the end of the session, the participant will be able to ... "). Objectives should be measurable (e.g., describe, explain, identify, etc.). "To understand" and "to learn" are NOT measurable objectives. Please refer to the APHA submission guidelines for more information on writing measurable learning objectives.

5. Please check the abstract title and text for spelling and grammatical errors.

6. Do not include your name or contact information in the text portion as this prohibits a blind peer review process. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in your abstract being rejected.

7. If you are unable to identify a specific session for your abstract, please submit it under "Other."

8. Lastly, all abstracts should contain sufficient details to fully evaluate the scientific value of the actual work that has been completed to-date, rather than alluding to what "will be" included in the presentation.

Abstract Evaluation Criteria

Peer review of abstracts is blinded. Abstracts will be peer reviewed based on the following criteria:

• Abstract Content - Specific to presenting topic, must be of sound science, or evidence-based practice (promising practice) and serve to maintain, develop or increase the knowledge, skills or competence of the public health professional. Content must be objective, free from bias and promotion, no use of commercial entities, products, services, logos, or brand names.
• Learning Objectives - At least one measurable learning objective that reflects what the learner will be able to do as a result of participating in this educational activity.
• Gap Addressed - Were gaps identified? Was it based on sound science, evidence-based (promising practice) that identified the change in skills, knowledge, and/or the opportunity for improvement?
• Qualification Statement - Did the presenter clearly describe his/her qualification and areas of expertise?
• Advancement- Extent to which the work described has the potential to inform and advance women's health.
• Relevance - How well the abstract relates to one or more important women's health issue.
• Innovation - Innovative information/cutting edge/topic not addressed elsewhere.

Awards

Highest Scoring Abstract:  The first author of the highest scoring abstract will receive a certificate of achievement prior to her/his presentation at the Annual Meeting.

Highest Scoring Student Abstract:  The author of the highest scoring abstract authored by a student will receive a certificate of achievement prior to her/his presentation at the Annual Meeting.

Students and new APHA members are encouraged to submit abstracts to the Women's Caucus.

Instructions for Submitting a Proposal for an Entire Session:

1. Submit each abstract separately (up to four abstracts per session) to the same topic area. If a session proposal includes abstracts submitted to multiple topic areas, the session proposal will be considered incomplete.
2. Contact the program planners with:
   1. a brief overview of the session (including relevance to health in all policies);
   2. at least three proposed learning objectives in APHA format for the entire session (Each individual abstract that will be part of the proposed session must also have at least two individual learning objectives); and
   3. the title, first author, and abstract number of all abstracts that will be included in the session.
      Session proposals may also include suggestions for moderators (please provide a name and contact information). Session proposals that do not adhere to these requirements will not be considered. Please contact the program chair or co-chairs if you have any questions.

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 must provide:

1. An abstract free of trade and/or commercial product names;   
2. At least one MEASURABLE SINGLE outcome (“to understand” or “to learn” are not measurable outcomes and compound outcomes 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 I am the Principle Investigator of this study is NOT an acceptable qualification statement.  
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 Mighty Fine at mighty.fine@apha.org if you have any questions concerning continuing education. For program questions, contact the Women's Caucus program planners Dr. Michelle S. Williams and Dr. Lisa Wigfall (aphawc.programplanners@gmail.com).

Submitting an abstract to the Women’s Caucus implies that you understand the terms of this call for abstracts. Failure to adhere to the instructions outlined in the call for abstracts may result in your abstract not being considered and may impact your future submissions. Further, submitting the abstract implies that you (and/or your co-authors or colleagues) are willing to present the abstract at the Annual Meeting. If you are selected to give a presentation at the APHA Annual Meeting, details of your presentation will be sent to you via emails from the APHA staff.  Therefore, it is imperative that you monitor all of the emails that are sent by APHA staff.

Cancellation Policy

If you are unable to present an accepted submission, you must notify the Women’s Caucus program planners as soon as possible. If you are not able to attend, we ask that you find someone to present or stand with your poster so that we can maintain a full program. Speakers who withdraw from the program without adequate time for notification or fail to show up for their scheduled presentations without previously notifying the program planners of cancellation in advance of the Annual Meeting may not be permitted to present papers or posters for the Women’s Caucus at future Annual Meetings.

Women’s Caucus Membership

If you would like to become a member of the Women’s Caucus, complete the membership form: WC Membership Form.  There is no fee to join.  Membership in the Women’s Caucus will not affect your other affiliations with APHA in any way.

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Ready?

Program Planner Contact Information:

Michelle S. Williams, PhD, MSPH, MPH, CHES
School of Nursing
Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
Phone: 3347284454
m.williamsfamu@mac.com

and
Lisa Wigfall, PhD, MCHES
Department of Health and Kinesiology
Texas A&M University
311-C Blocker Building, Mail Stop 4243
College Station, TX 77843
Phone: 979-845-4779
Fax: 979-847-8987
lwigfall@tamu.edu