CALL FOR ABSTRACTS — APHA's 2020 Annual Meeting and Expo

School Health Education and Services

Meeting theme: "Creating the Healthiest Nation: Preventing Violence"

Submission Deadline: Monday, March 2, 2020

The School Health Education and Services (SHES) section focuses on a population-based, coordinated approach to addressing and improving the health and well-being of students and staff members in preschool, K-12 school, and college settings. School health is public health.

We invite abstracts that reflect our focus, particularly those that highlight current trends and innovations in school health rather than "business as usual." Abstracts based on specific topics should be presented in context of the larger vision of school health.

Preference will be given to abstracts that demonstrate a population-based, coordinated approach and address more than one aspect of school health (e.g., education and services).

  • Addressing Physical Activity and Nutrition in School Settings
  • Addressing Reproductive and Sexual Health and Identity in School Settings
  • Addressing Social and Emotional Health in School Settings (e.g., attendance/truancy/discipline; mental health; resilience; safety/violence; school climate; substance use; and trauma/adverse childhood experiences)
  • Innovative Ways of Teaching the Next Generation of School Health Educators and Providers
  • Policies and Funding for Sustainable, Coordinated, Comprehensive School Health Programs and Services
  • Promoting Diversity and Equity in School Health
  • School Health Data, Research, and Evaluation
  • School Health Service Delivery (e.g., school nursing, school-based health centers, mobile clinics, telehealth programs)
  • School, Parent/Caregiver and/or Community Partnerships to Promote School Health
  • Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model
  • Other Topics Related to School Health
Abstracts should be no more than 250 words. All presenters must be individual members of APHA to present and must register for the meeting. Abstracts cannot be presented or published in any journal prior to the APHA Annual Meeting. You must include learner-centered objectives with your abstract. Please use one of the examples of measurable action words provided on the submission form and format your learning objectives according to APHA's specific instructions. These are needed so we can get ANCC, MCHES, and CHES credit for our sessions.

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. Focus on a population-based, coordinated approach to addressing health
  6. Usefulness for supporting or strengthening school health and the health of children, adolescents, and college students

The section will present an award for “Outstanding Student Research in School Health.” Preference will be given to completed research rather than to proposed projects or pilot studies. Currently enrolled students in public health, health education, nursing, medicine, social work, counseling, and 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 and indicate that you would like your work to be considered for this award. 

Continuing Education Credit

APHA values the ability to provide continuing education credit to physicians, nurses, health educators, veterinarians, 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:

  • An abstract free of trade and/or commercial product name.
  • At least one MEASURABLE outcomes (DO NOT USE “To understand” or “To learn” as objectives, they are not measurable). Examples of Acceptable Measurable Action Words:  Explain, Demonstrate, Analyze, Formulate, Discuss, Compare, Differentiate, Describe, Name, Assess, Evaluate, Identify, Design, Define or List.
  • 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.

Contact Mighty Fine at mighty.fine@apha.org if you have any questions concerning continuing education credit. Please contact the program planner for all other questions.


Ready?

Program Planner Contact Information:

Samira Soleimanpour, PhD
Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies
University of California San Francisco
3333 California Street
Suite 265
San Francisco, CA 94143-0936
Phone: 415-235-8208
samira.soleimanpour@ucsf.edu

and
Erin Maughan, PhD, MS, RN, PHNA-BC, FNASN, FAAN
College of Nursing
Brigham Young University
552 SWKT
Provo, UT 84602
Phone: 801-422-4893
emaughan@nasn.org

and
Kelly Beckwith, MPH, CHES
Department of Global and Community Health
George Mason University
4400 University Dr MS 5B7
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-4555
kbeckwi2@gmu.edu