CALL FOR ABSTRACTS — APHA 2023 Annual Meeting and Expo
Food and Nutrition
Meeting theme: "Creating the Healthiest Nation: Overcoming Social and Ethical Challenges"
Submission Deadline: Friday, March 31, 2023
The APHA Food & Nutrition Section (FN) invites individual abstracts and full session proposals for the 2023 APHA Annual Meeting, which will feature the theme of “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Overcoming Social and Ethical Challenges” on November 12 - 15, 2023 in Atlanta, GA. At this time, we are planning for an in-person meeting. Individual abstracts and full session proposals (with all abstracts in the proposal), must be submitted by March 31, 2023.
We are accepting submissions representing a wide range of food and nutrition topics. In recognition of the 2023 APHA Annual Meeting theme, we are particularly interested in submissions thathighlightsocial and ethical challenges associated with food and nutrition within communities and populations. We are also interested in proposals that challenge the status quo in nutrition-related research, policies, and programs.
We welcome abstracts on research, policies, theoretical ideas, or evidence-based practice, in the public or private sectors, with a national or international focus that examines subjects such as:
Observational studies and other innovative research addressing social and ethical challenges in food and nutrition.
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems, food security, nutrition behaviors, dietary intake, and nutritional status of a population or sub-population.
Social determinants of health and their intersection with food and nutrition behavior/outcomes, policies, and programs.
Cross-sector ethical challenges and solutions to food and nutrition-related issues in a variety of settings such as the workplace, home, and community.
Nutrition behavior and innovative nutrition communication methodologies across the lifespan.
Nutrition-related issues facing underserved populations such as individuals living with disabilities, refugees, college students, and individuals experiencing homelessness.
Translational nutritional science, programs and interventions that serve populations most affected by diet-related diseases and that strive to address health equity.
The history of social and ethical challenges related to federal, state, and local public health food and nutrition programs.
Plans for the Food and Nutrition (FN) Sessions
The final program will consist of a combination 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 and collaborative sessions on important topics identified by section leadership.
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.
Student abstracts are strongly encouraged. The FN Section will present an award to the highest scoring student abstract at the section awards ceremony in Atlanta, GA. Award recipients must attend the conference, or forfeit their award.
PRESENTER AND PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS
All persons presenting at the Annual Meeting & Exposition (including presenting an abstract) must become individual members of APHA, must register for the annual meeting, and pay a registration fee in order to participate in the program and 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 PRESENTATION/ABSTRACT 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 (3-4 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. Program planners will make every effort to honor your presentation preference.
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 requires 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 1st.
To review examples of accepted abstracts from past meetings, click on the following link:
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.
Persons submitting full session proposals must send a session overview to the FN Section Program Planning Chair (contact information is provided below) AND submit all individual abstracts for each speaker online by the above- mentioned deadline.
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 and 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 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 March 31st. 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 speakers/panelists for full panel sessions submit their abstracts online, they should write in the comment box "I am an invited panel member for a full-session proposal." 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 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 a 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 1, 2023. 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:
Godfred O. Boateng, PhD, MPhil
2023 Food & Nutrition Section Program Chair
Email: apha.fnprogram@gmail.com
TOPICS OF INTEREST
All applicants are encouraged to consider an abstract relevant to the 2023 Annual Meeting theme, “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Overcoming Social and Ethical Challenges.” Please submit individual abstracts related 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.
COVID Factors Related to Food and Nutrition Examples include: COVID recovery; COVID program pivots such as waivers and flexibility in federal nutrition programs; Descriptions and evaluation of COVID pilots and innovations initiated during the pandemic; Health and Nutrition status resulting from COVID; Disparities in food access due to COVID; Epidemiology of nutrition outcomes related to COVID.
Community Engagement in Food & Nutrition Research or Engaging Communities in Food & Nutrition Examples include: 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 and place-based models for demonstrating collective impact in the area of food and nutrition (common agenda, shared measurement system, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone organization).
Complex Issues Impacting Food and Nutrition Examples include: Implications of inflation on food cost; Food shortages and supply chain challenges; Domestic and/or global implications of food waste; Environmental challenges and the effects on food and nutrition (e.g., water quality, climate change); Food environment for reservations and tribal communities; Food and nutrition considerations for colleges/universities
Food Safety Practices Examples include: Safe food handling practices; Consumer food safety; Food safety policies; Food and water borne illness; Food justice and food sovereignty; Water and food availability; Water and Food quality; water and food safety; Interventions to secure food safety
Food Systems and Agriculture Examples include Local, regional, national and/or global food 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; Food waste; Supply and demand of food; Ethical challenges with agriculture labor and migrant workers; Food costs
Global, Federal, and Local Food and Nutrition Programs Examples include: Equitable implementation of and access to federal nutrition assistance programs; Effectiveness of Nutrition Education in Federal Nutrition Programs; Federal nutrition programs incentives and restrictions; Fruit and vegetable prescription programs; SNAP & Emergency food assistance programs; Nutrition Assistance Programs for older adults; Farm to Institution programs; State and federal food assistance reform initiatives.
National, State, and Local Nutrition Recommendations and Policy Examples include: 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Healthy People 2030, 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;Including data to support implementation and evaluation of large scale initiatives and nutrition policy; Establishing a science basis for supporting recommendations.
Nutrition Behavior and Nutrition Communication across the Lifespan Examples include: Nutrition education and behavior 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 adults, and older adults; Social media marketing evaluation; Nutrition communication from different levels of the socioecological model; Coordinated communication models and campaigns; Comprehensive social marketing campaigns; Partnership communication; Social network analysis; Collective impact models communication factors.
Nutrition Disparities and Nutrition Related Issues Facing Underserved Populations Examples include: Programs, interventions, or basic research addressing age, race, gender, income, literacy (financial, food, and health), culture, location, gentrification 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 underserved populations, such as caregivers of wounded service members, individuals with disabilities, refugees, or the homeless.
Nutritional Epidemiology, Measurement, and Technology Examples include: 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. Qualitative and quantitative measurement strategies; use of culturally appropriate methodologies when working with ethnic groups or minority/disadvantaged populations. Use and impact of innovative technology on nutrition programming, measurement, and behaviors/outcomes. Measurements of social connectedness such as social network analysis, social capital, and community-based participatory research.
Policies, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Change Approaches to Improving Diet and Food Systems Examples include: Policy, systems, and environmental changes to address food insecurity, prevent obesity, or impact other diet-related diseases; Focus on employment, housing, education, transportation, or health care policies as they relate to food and nutrition; Highlight solutions to inequities in the built, social, economic, communications and normative environments; Evaluation/measurement, tracking and impact of changes in the food and activity environment (e.g., environmental audits, GIS, etc.); Strategies to increase access to healthy, affordable foods.
Social, Cultural, and Political Factors Affecting Food and Nutrition Examples include: The relationship between structural violence, racism, and community nutrition; The intersection of food insecurity and other social determinants of health; Differences in nutrition and nutrition-related behavior by culture, religion, and political affiliation/views; The effect of gentrification on food access, affordability, and quality; The impact of discrimination and stigma on dietary practices; The role of politics in food policy; Description and observation of history of food and nutrition policy and programs; The impact of historical nutrition policy on populations.
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 two measurable learning outcomes 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, nutrition, 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 - 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*
