The Caucus on Public Health and the Faith Community (CPHFC) seeks to promote and enhance collaborations between communities of faith and all facets of the public health, addressing biological, physical, mental, emotional, environmental, spiritual and social health challenges across the lifespan. From this perspective, the CPHFC believes that public health interventions and research routinely goes beyond the borders of traditional public health practice.

Abstracts will be peer-reviewed and considered for presentation according to the meeting theme. Authors will be notified of the status of their abstracts by email.

In relation to the APHA Call for Abstracts, the CPHFC encourages abstract submissions that emphasize faith-based collaborations, research, and involvement in local, state, national, or international public health interventions. The topics are listed below:

• Campus to Community: Interfaith America Faith & Health Grants in Action
  This session spotlights the work of Interfaith America’s Faith & Health Pipeline Grant program and Faith & Health Campus Grant program, which catalyze institutional change on campuses poised to advance the vital role of religious diversity in strengthening individual and community health outcomes. Grantee teams from undergraduate and graduate settings will share how they are embedding interfaith competency into health-related curricula, building sustainable partnerships with community organizations, and strengthening public understanding of religion as a social determinant of health.

  Through a roundtable-style exchange, participants will hear brief “field notes” from grantees and then engage in guided discussion on implementation challenges and wins - curriculum design, faculty/staff buy-in, evaluation approaches, community partnership ethics, and translating campus learning into community impact. The session also highlights the Pipeline microgrants that support integrating religion as a social determinant of health across the lifespan in courses, research, public narrative, and community-based initiatives that bridge the faith and health divide.

  Attendees will leave with adaptable frameworks, sample activities, and partnership strategies that can be applied across public health, medical education, nursing, and allied health fields.

• Reclaiming Faith Voices for Health Justice: Advocacy, Policy, and Public Narrative
  Public health is shaped not only by programs and services, but also by laws, policies, and the stories communities tell about who deserves care. This roundtable convenes advocates, practitioners, researchers, and faith leaders to explore how faith communities can strengthen health justice across the lifespan through legislative advocacy, public narrative, and community mobilization.

  Participants will engage in facilitated discussion on: translating evidence into values-based messaging; building multi-faith coalitions; navigating church–state questions while advancing the common good; and advocating for policies that protect families, workers, and vulnerable communities. The session will also surface practical tools for responding to misinformation, strengthening civic participation, and partnering with public health agencies in ways that are culturally grounded and ethically sound.

• Religion as a Social Determinant of Health Across the Lifespan: Measures, Mechanisms, and Meaning
  Religion, faith, and spirituality are increasingly recognized as influential factors in health - shaping social support, coping, identity, discrimination experiences, care-seeking, and trust in institutions. This oral scientific session advances the conversation on religion as a social determinant of health by highlighting emerging research on measurement, mechanisms, and practical implications across the lifespan.

  Presentations may address conceptual frameworks, quantitative and qualitative measures (including religious identity, participation, and spiritual well-being), pathways linking religious diversity to health outcomes, and implications for training the public health workforce. Speakers will also discuss how to conduct rigorous, ethical research in partnership with communities - especially in contexts where religion intersects with race, migration, gender, and socioeconomic status.

• Together We Thrive: Faith, Innovation, and Health Equity Across the Lifespan
  This poster session features innovative programs, research, and models at the intersection of faith, public health, and health equity—aligned with APHA 2026’s theme, “Together We Thrive: Health Across the Lifespan.” Posters may include faith-based health promotion, prevention, and care navigation initiatives; interfaith collaborations; curriculum and workforce development; community-engaged research; and evaluations of partnerships that address social determinants of health, including religion and spirituality.

  We welcome submissions that highlight measurable outcomes, implementation lessons, and replicable tools- especially those that demonstrate community-rooted approaches, ethical partnership practices, and strategies that strengthen belonging and resilience in diverse communities.

The abstract word limit is 300 words. You must also include clear MEASURABLE learning objectives with your abstract submission. Learning objectives are not included in the word count.

Abstracts should be submitted in a structured or alternative format. Please use one of the following two formats below and include the listed subheadings in your relevant abstract submission:

(1) STRUCTURED ABSTRACT FORMAT (suitable for abstracts on scientific research): BACKGROUND: Study objectives, hypothesis, or a description of the problem; METHODS: Study design, including a description of participants, procedures, measures, and appropriate analyses; RESULTS: Specific results in summary form; and CONCLUSION: Description of the main outcome of the study.

(2) ALTERNATIVE FORMAT (suitable for abstracts about policy, programs, interventions, and other types of research evaluations): ISSUE: A short summary of the issue(s) addressed; DESCRIPTION: Description of the project, experience, service, or advocacy program; LESSONS LEARNED: A brief description of the results of the project; and RECOMMENDATIONS: A brief statement of next steps.

Review Criteria

Standardized criteria will be used to evaluate all abstract submissions. These criteria include:

(1) abstract content,

(2) learning outcomes,

(3) gap addressed,

(4) competency,

(5) quality of written abstract,

(6) relevance to the Caucus on Public Health and the Faith Community,

(7) clear methodology and/or sound conceptual framework,

(8) clarity of content and description of subject matter

(NOTE: Incomplete abstracts will not be reviewed.)

Final Program

The session topics are preliminary and may not reflect the precise content of the final program. The final program will be based on the reviewers rating scores of each abstract proposal with consideration for available time and space, the program theme, and diversity of topics. Topical sessions are determined based on accepted submissions. All topics related to the APHA Annual Meeting are encouraged. Individuals should submit an abstract only if they are committed to presenting the paper themselves or to finding a substitute willing to register, attend the meeting, and present the paper instead. Invitations to present will be withdrawn should authors of awarded abstracts be unable to present at the Annual Meeting. If presenting at the APHA Annual Meeting is contingent on receiving financial support, please do not submit an abstract there is only limited space for presentations, and it is not fair to others to withdraw your abstract just before the APHA Annual Meeting because of lack of funds. Also note there are NO free or reduced registrations for presenters. Submitting an abstract to the Caucus on Public Health and the Faith Community 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 future submissions.

Continuing Education Credit

APHA values the ability to provide continuing education credit to physicians, nurses and health educators 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 outcome (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 form with a relevant qualification statement; Example of Acceptable Qualification Statement: "I am qualified to present because I oversee programs such as disease prevention, environmental and consumer safety and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs. I also served as an associate professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Clinical infectious Disease."

(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.

Everyone including APHA members, non-APHA members, community-based groups and students are invited to submit abstracts to the Caucus and join the Caucus by visiting, https://apha.confex.com/apha/2025/cphfc.htm . We also encourage those interested in promoting and enhancing collaborations between communities of faith and all facets of the public health to join the CPHFC. For general information about CPHFC, please visit http://www.apha.org/apha-communities/caucuses/caucus-on-public-health-and-the-faith-community. For more information about joining the CPHFC, please contact apha.cphfc@gmail.com

---

Ready?

Program Planner Contact Information:

Beth Schwartz, Ph.D., RN, PHN, MAT
bethaks@icloud.com


and

Marquis Johns, MPH, MBA
marquis@marquisjohns.com


and

Eboni Haynes, PhD, MBA
eboni@themahoganygroup.com