CALL FOR ABSTRACTS — APHA 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo
Caucus on Refugee and Immigrant Health
Meeting theme: "Making the Public’s Health a National Priority"
Submission Deadline: Sunday, March 30, 2025
The Caucus invites abstract submissions related to issues in refugee and immigrant health. Abstracts dedicated to all aspects of refugee and immigrant health will be considered. We encourage a wide range of abstracts to allow us to continue to extend our dimensions and perspectives. Factors involved in abstract consideration include, but are not limited to, originality, innovation, clarity, and relevance.
We are interested in the following topics/themes/areas:
Barriers and Enablers of Health Equity Among Immigrants, Refugees, and Forcibly Displaced Populations We view Health Equity as entailing more than equality in access to health care or services, but also emphasizing the determinants of health inequities, such as socioeconomic challenges and lack of access to proper education, and the need to create opportunities for all to achieve their best possible health.
Barriers to, and Enablers of, Mental Health Among Immigrants, Refugees, and Forcibly Displaced Populations. We view Mental Health as a person’s condition regarding their psychological, emotional, and social well-being which shapes coping with the stresses of life, realizing abilities, learning, working, and contributing to the community. Because many factors drive mental health along with its inextricable link with physical health, we expect a wide range of abstract themes.
CRIH Roundtable Session This session format is designed to facilitate interactive and in-depth discussions on specific topics related to the health of immigrants, refugees, and forcibly displaced populations. The roundtable format allows for a more intimate and collaborative exchange of ideas among participants.
Community Engagement to Foster Trust and Participation in Multidisciplinary Initiatives to Advance Health Equity for Immigrants, Refugees, and Forcibly Displaced Populations We view Community Engagement as a key to addressing health inequities, which involves more than culturally sensitive methodologies, but also meaning engagement, transparency, and strategic partnerships
Emerging Health Inequities Among Immigrants, Refugees, and Forcibly Displaced Populations We view emerging health inequities among immigrants, refugees, and forcibly displaced populations as not only a matter of humanitarian concern but also a public health imperative. We view the health of these populations as intertwined with the health of the broader community.
Emerging Mental Health Issues and Inequities Among Immigrants, Refugees, and Forcibly Displaced Populations. We view Emerging Mental Health Issues as not only a matter of urgency and concern, but also a public health imperative. The cost (in all measures) of immediately tackling a population health threat is usually the lowest. We view the health of a minority as intertwined with the health of the majority or broader community.
Forced Displacement As a Social Determinant of Health Inequities Among Immigrants, Refugees, and Forcibly Displaced Populations We view Social Determinants of Health as the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. We view forced displacement as multifaceted, and not only as a by-product of conflict or social unrest.
Forced Displacement as a Determinant of Mental Health Among Immigrants, Refugees, and Forcibly Displaced Populations. We view Determinants of Health as the factors that shape health and well-being, encompassing the various aspects of life, including social (e.g., education, income, housing), behavioral (e.g., diet, lifestyle), environmental (e.g., water, air), and healthcare (e.g., access, quality).
Role of Refugees, Immigrants, and the Forcibly Displaced in Making the Health of the Public a National Priority. We view Public Health as the condition of people (individual or group), their communities, and environments as a result of the factors that drive the health outcomes in a given setting, such as genetics, healthcare, and housing.
The Role of Community Engagement and Multidisciplinary Initiatives in Advancing Mental Health of Immigrants, Refugees, and Forcibly Displaced Populations.
The Role of Psychosocial Experiences in Health Equity Among Immigrants, Refugees, and Forcibly Displaced Populations We view immigrant psychosocial experiences as including a variety of factors related to overall health, such as quality of living (e.g., stress, lack of access, dietary challenges, etc.), mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, etc.), and acculturation (e.g., short- and long-term health implications).
The Role of Psychosocial Experiences in the Mental Health of Refugees, Immigrants, and Forcibly Displaced. We view Psychosocial Experiences as including a variety of factors related to health, such as quality of living and acculturation.
What Do We Know About the Healthy Immigrant Effect and the Mental Health of Refugees, Immigrants and the Forcibly Displaced?
Special Instructions to Authors: Limit abstract to 250 words.
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, 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) 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.)
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 program planner listed below.
