CALL FOR ABSTRACTS — APHA's 2019 Annual Meeting & Expo
Food and Nutrition
Meeting theme: Creating the Healthiest Nation: For Science. For Action. For Health
Submission Deadline: Saturday, February 23, 2019
Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION
PRESENTER AND PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS
DESCRIPTION OF ABSTRACT/PRESENTATION TYPES
INDIVIDUAL ABSTRACT CONTRIBUTIONS
FULL PANEL SESSION PROPOSALS
TOPICS OF INTEREST
ABSTRACT SECTIONS AND EVALUATION CRITERIA
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT
INTRODUCTION
The APHA Food & Nutrition Section (FN) invites abstracts and full session proposals for the 2019 APHA Annual Meeting, which will feature the theme of “Creating the Healthiest Nation: For Science. For Action. For Health.” on November 2 - November 6, 2019 in Philadelphia, PA.
We will be accepting submissions representing a wide range of food and nutrition topics. In recognition of the 2019 APHA Annual Meeting theme, we are looking for submissions thataddress the implementation of food and nutrition-related research, policies, advocacy, and programming. We are particularly interested in proposals that apply an equity lens to work focused on food and nutrition. We especially welcome abstracts on research or practice, in the public or private sectors, examining subjects such as:
Innovative solutions to food and nutrition disparities,
Social determinants of health and their intersections with food and nutrition policies or programs,
Inequities in social structures and processes that impact food and nutrition behaviors or outcomes; and
Cross-sector strategies to address food and nutrition-related issues in a variety of settings such as worksites, communities, media, childcare, or food retail.
Plans for the Food and Nutrition (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 school health, community health, physical activity, maternal and child health, environmental health, transportation, land use, equity and environmental justice, communications, statistics, law, 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 that strive 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 Philadelphia, P 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.
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, trends and solutions in public health nutrition.
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.
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 15-20 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 3rd.
To review examples of accepted abstracts from past meetings, click on the following link:
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 the 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:
1) Session organizer’s name, affiliation, complete mailing address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers (on top of page 1).
2) Brief overview including the title, relevance (purpose and importance) of the proposed session.
3) Two to three learning objectives for the session (see continuing education credit instructions below).
4) 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.
5) 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 the abstract submission deadline. The overview documents are not submitted through the online system. See below for email address.
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 23rd. 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. Acceptance notices will be sent to full session organizers no later than June 3, 2019. 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:
Traci Causey, MS, MBA, CN, CHES, SNS
2019 Food & Nutrition Section Program Chair
Email: apha.fnprogram@gmail.com
TOPICS OF INTEREST
All applicants are encouraged to consider an abstract relevant to the 2019 Annual Meeting theme, “Creating the Healthiest Nation: For Science. For Action. For Health.” 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.
Engaging communities in research and program/policy design and implementation Including, but not limited to, successful examples and results of: Community based and participatory action research; Youth engagement in program and policy development; Community coalitions addressing obesity, hunger, health equity; food policy councils; Collaborative models demonstrating collective impact in the area of food and nutrition (common agenda, shared measurement system, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone organization).
Food and nutrition from a global perspective Including, but not limited to: Global and domestic issues around food access, sovereignty and the right to safe and healthy foods; Access to culturally-appropriate, economically sustainable and healthy foods; Preserving culinary/dietary traditions; Impact of immigration patterns and environment on dietary quality and health.
Food and nutrition marketing, messaging, communications and social marketing Including, but not limited to: Marketing of foods and beverages, Infant formula and toddler food marketing, Differences in marketing by venue type (schools, restaurants, retail store type) or population segments (low-income, race/ethnic, non-English speakers); Labeling (menu, front of package, health claims, restaurant); Food/beverage pricing and placement; Communications (advertising, public relations, social media, loyalty and other incentive programs); Equity in food and nutrition marketing, messaging, and communication.
Food insecurity and access to healthy foods and beverages where we live, learn, work, pray, and play Including, but not limited to; Strategies to address food insecurity, poverty, dietary quality, and obesity. Education and policies addressing nutrition and physical activity in a variety of settings including homes, school and out-of-school, early childcare/education sites, worksites, faith-based organizations, food stores, restaurants and fast food; Farm to Institution; Implementation of nutrition guidelines; Innovations that promote health and prevent disease; Safe drinking water access and promotion.
Food systems, agriculture, and food safety Including, but not limited to: Local, regional, national and/or global systems; Sustainable food production; Land use and planning to support local and regional food systems; Intersection of climate change with food systems, agriculture, food production; Safe food handling practices; Consumer food safety; Food safety policies; Foodborne illness; Food justice and food sovereignty; Water availability.
Implementation and impact evaluation of national, state and community nutrition recommendations/standards and health policy Including, but not limited to: 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Healthy People 2020, the National Prevention Strategy, the Affordable Care Act; National non-profit organizations (e.g. American Heart Association, American Cancer Society); and International standards and programs. Including consideration for sustainability aspects of large-scale nutrition recommendations and standards; establishing a science basis for supporting recommendations; Data to support implementation and evaluation of large scale initiatives.
Innovative technology in food and nutrition Including, but not limited to: Use and impact of innovative technology on nutrition programming, measurement, and behaviors/outcomes; mHealth or eHealth; Use of innovative technology in tracking and self-management of diet and physical activity behaviors; Apps or systems for tracking, evaluating and reporting on change in program delivery, environmental factors, and partnerships.
Monitoring and evaluation methods for measuring impact and outcomes of nutrition programs and policies, including multi-sector, community-wide and larger-scale interventions Including, but not limited to: Research translation for program development; Qualitative and quantitative measurement strategies; Community assessment; Evidence-based practice; use of program planning/evaluation frameworks (examples: RE-AIM, precede/proceed, SNAP-Ed); use of culturally appropriate methodologies when working with ethnic groups or minority/disadvantaged populations; Institutionalization and sustainability.
Nutrition assistance programs Including, but not limited to: Equitable implementation of and access to federal nutrition assistance programs (e.g. federal distribution, child nutrition, SNAP, and WIC); Effectiveness of Nutrition Education in Federal Nutrition Programs (Team Nutrition, SNAP-Ed, Child Nutrition); SNAP incentives and restrictions; Fruit and vegetable prescription programs; Emergency food assistance; Nutrition Assistance Programs for older adults (e.g., Meals on Wheels, farmers’ markets); state and federal food assistance reform initiatives.
Nutrition disparities Including but not limited to: Programs, interventions, or basic research addressing age, race, gender, income, literacy, culture, location, and other factors and their intersection with food and nutrition; Disparities in the food environment and/or food chain, such as access to and availability of healthy food; Innovative solutions to nutrition disparities in high-risk groups, such as caregivers of seriously wounded service members, rural, disabled, or homeless populations.
Nutrition epidemiology Including, but not limited to: Best practices in dietary assessment, surveillance and trend evaluation; Population health, food and nutrient intake; Links between dietary behaviors, geography, environment, social-economic factors and health outcomes.
Nutrition through the lifespan Including, but not limited to: Nutrition education across the lifespan; Maternal and neonatal nutrition; Policies and programs that support breastfeeding; infant and young child feeding; Programs and policies developed under life course framework; Cultural and family influences on nutrition and dietary practices of young and school-age children and adolescents; Dietary practices and outcomes of young adults; Working aged and older adults; Chronic disease prevention and management.
Policies, systems, and environments (PSE) that support healthy diets and food systems Including, but not limited to: Policy, systems, and environmental changes to address food insecurity, prevent obesity, or impact other diet-related diseases; Employment, housing, education, transportation, or health care policies as they relate to food and nutrition; solutions to inequities in the built, social, economic, communications and normative environments. PSE innovations in healthy food retail; Evaluation/measurement, tracking and impact of changes in the food and activity environment (e.g. environmental audits, GIS, etc.); strategies to increasing access to healthy, affordable foods.
Other nutrition-related topics
ABSTRACT SECTIONS AND EVALUATION CRITERIA
Research Presentations
Abstracts must include the following four elements (please include these section headings in your abstract text):
1) Introduction – purpose and background/context and purpose of topic/issue investigation;
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
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.
All Abstracts will be Evaluated Using the Following Review Criteria
Abstract Content – specific to presenting topic, must be of sound science, evidence-based practice and serve to maintain, develop or increase the knowledge, skills and competence of the health professional. Content must be objective, free from bias and promotion, no use of commercial entities, products, services, logos, or brand names.
Learning Outcomes – at least one measurable learning outcome that reflects what the learner will be able to do as a result of participating in this educational activity (no compound outcomes - list each outcome separately)
GAP addressed – Were gaps addressed? Was it based on sound science, evidence-based (promising practice) that identified the change in skills, knowledge, and/or the opportunity for improvement?
Competency - Did the abstract address a core competency in public health, nursing, medicine or health education? (Additional information on core competencies located here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4zH9LQJ_JHAWGhSeDdpZDdNTk0/view?usp=sharing)
Quality of Written Abstract – Was the abstract coherent? Did the abstract clearly state the purpose and/or relevance?
Relevance to Public Health Nutrition - For example, is this timely from a policy or science perspective? Is there potential for large-scale impact?
Importance of Topic - How important is this topic to the field? Does the research appear to be of high quality? OR, is the policy/program aligned with upcoming policy discourse?
Qualification Statement – Did the presenter clearly describe his/her qualification and areas of expertise? Example: 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.
Adherence to instruction for submission and formatting - NOTE: *Abstracts that do not follow directions will receive lower scores*
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 outcome.
Use ONLY the following verbs: Explain, Demonstrate, Analyze, Formulate, Discuss, Compare, Differentiate, Describe, Name, Assess, Evaluate, Identify, Design, Define or List.
Do NOT use “to understand” or “to learn” (as they are not measurable outcomes); and do not submit compound outcomes.
3) A signed Conflict of Interest (Disclosure) form with a relevant Qualification Statement. See an example of an acceptable Qualification Statement on the online Disclosure form.
Example of Acceptable Biographical Qualification Statement:
Good Example: I am qualified because I have conducted research in the area of maternal and child health for the past 20 years and have given multiple presentations on this subject.
Bad Example: I am qualified because I am a professor at XYZ University.
Contact Mighty Fine at Mighty.Fine@apha.org if you have any questions concerning continuing education. For program questions, contact the program planner listed below.
Ready?
Program Planner Contact Information:
Traci Causey, MBA, MS, CN, SNS Puget Sound Educational Service District Renton, WA 98057 Phone: 425-686-9553 traci.causey@gmail.com
