| Society
for Prevention Research
Call
for Papers 16th Annual Meeting
"Context
and Prevention Science"
Hyatt
Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Center
May 28 – May 30, 2008
Pre-conference Workshops May 27, 2008
Call
for Papers
(PDF)
Go
to the Abstract Submission Site Now
The Program
Committee of the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) invites
submissions for presentations within all content areas of
public health, education, human services, criminal justice,
and medical science. Relevant focus areas include, but are
not limited to: health disparities, health promotion and disease
prevention, maternal health, suicide, infant and child health,
mental health/mental disorders, family conflict, substance
abuse and addiction (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs), violence,
delinquency, crime, academic failure, dropping-out of school,
child maltreatment, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer,
diabetes mellitus, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted
disease, unintended pregnancy, unemployment, occupation safety,
auto crashes, unintended injury, poverty, welfare, managed
care, and policy-based interventions.
The theme
for the 2008 conference is “Context and Prevention Science”.
While most agree that “context matters”, relatively
little research in prevention science has been conducted that
aids understanding of the ways in which context matters in
designing interventions and understanding intervention impact.
In addition, as the science moves forward to better understand
gene and environment interactions in development, it is clear
that many questions about environment remain – questions
of definition, processes, intervention targets, measurement
and a myriad of methodological challenges. As outlined below,
submissions that include a focus on context across all areas
of prevention science from epidemiology to dissemination research
are strongly encouraged. Submissions for presentations may
include individual paper and poster presentations, organized
paper symposia, poster forums, round-table discussions/scientific
dialogue sessions, and technology demonstrations.
Special
Themes
Context
and Prevention. SPR strongly encourages submissions
focused on understanding the role of social and physical settings
– such as families, peer groups, schools, and neighborhoods
– as contexts for both development and settings of interventions.
For example, there has been limited investigation of the relation
of neighborhood context to preventive intervention outcomes,
despite increasing empirical evidence documenting community
and neighborhood characteristics’ relation to psychosocial
and health outcomes both directly and through the interaction
with other social settings. Characteristics of neighborhood
and community contexts may be important in both intervention
content and understanding variation in intervention impact.
Submissions that focus on the physical or structural characteristics
and social processes within settings as related to the development
of interventions and in modifying intervention impact, the
interaction between settings, as well as multilevel measurement
and analytic methods appropriate for such analyses are all
strongly encouraged. Submissions focused on larger social,
political, cultural or economic contexts are also encouraged.
Research,
Policy and Practice. Researchers often complain about
the lack of attention to research findings to guide policy
and decision making. Policymakers often complain that researchers
address topics that are not policy-relevant, produce ambiguous
or conflicting findings or report findings in ways that are
inaccessible to policymakers. Both groups suggest that high-quality
research could and should be used to inform and shape policies
and practices. Submissions presenting research on how and
under what conditions research is used to influence policies
and practices or how policy priorities shape what researchers
study are encouraged.
The
Role of Culture, Ethnicity and Health Disparities in Prevention
Research. SPR continues to focus on better understanding
issues related to health disparities. Submissions are encouraged
that articulate how prevention science can address several
key factors: biological, behavioral, social environment, physical
environment, and policies\ to reduce health disparities and
to promote health and well-being.
Emerging
Adulthood. Each year, SPR focuses on a different
stage of development. The 2008 conference invites special
attention to the developmental period of emerging adulthood,
which extends roughly through the ages 18 to 29. Recent research
has identified this period of development as distinct from
both adolescence and young adulthood and a period of time
often characterized by instability and identity exploration.
This developmental stage provides a unique opportunity for
intervention, as individuals move toward young adulthood and
responsibilities of work, partnered relationships and parenthood.
Developing a better understanding of interventions to prevent
problem behaviors, the mechanisms of such preventive interventions,
and promote positive development, as well as gaining better
insight into this developmental period would be of substantial
value for the field.
Advances
across the Stages of the Prevention Research Cycle
Epidemiology
Knowing the prevalence of specific problems or disorders,
the distribution of risk factors in the population, shifts
in risk factors and the distribution of problems over time
are critical prerequisites to designing effective prevention
programs. An emphasis on basic behavioral science and epidemiology
will remain the basis of strong intervention and prevention
programs. Epidemiological studies typically reflect phase
1 and 2 trials in a biomedical model of intervention development.
Special Interest Areas:
• The use of community monitoring systems to affect
behavioral changes in settings
• Variations by community, socioeconomic status, race
and ethnicity
Etiology
Prevention science includes research that has a high probability
of yielding results that will likely be applicable to disease
prevention. Basic research efforts generate knowledge that
contributes to the development of future preventive efforts.
Etiological studies typically reflect Phase 1 trials in a
biomedical model.
Special Interest Area:
• Interactions among genetic, environmental and developmental
factors in the etiology of problem behaviors (e.g., substance
use, aggression), obesity, and other health problems.
Efficacy
Trials
Efficacy trials demonstrate the “proof of concept”
with a specified population under conditions of high quality
assurance and strong research designs (typically randomized
controlled designs). Efficacy trials answer the basic question
of whether there are benefits from a proposed innovation.
In a biomedical model of intervention development, these are
Phase 3 trials.
Special Interest Areas:
• Outcomes most relevant to the developmental concerns
of emerging adulthood including, HIV, substance use, child
maltreatment, obesity, suicide, violence, partner violence
Effectiveness
Trials
The true test of a prevention program is the effectiveness
in the real-life setting with the community in charge of the
program. Effectiveness trials involve replicating an efficacious
intervention under real world conditions in community settings.
There is less quality assurance on an ongoing basis and the
outcomes demonstrate the likely impact of an intervention
when delivered without the original research team. In a biomedical
model, these are Phase 4 trials.
Special Interest Area:
• Studies that evaluate variation in preventive intervention
impact by population or setting characteristics.
Dissemination
Careful trials to assess which programs would be particularly
well suited for dissemination, which individuals would be
most likely to benefit, and which disorders are prevented
are important steps in program development. Dissemination
research identifies strategies for taking interventions to
scale and identifies potential barriers to dissemination.
Special Interest Areas:
• Type II translational research, including effectiveness
and dissemination research directed toward scaling up efficacious
interventions
• Examples of effective strategies for the advocacy
and promotion of evidence-based programs and policies at the
federal, state and local levels.
Innovative
Methods
Prevention science owes much of its progress to the development
of new measures, designs, and statistical analyses. Continued
contributions to the development of innovations in prevention
science methods are vital to our progress. For example, mixed-methods
approaches that integrate qualitative and quantitative methodologies
within a unified research design may offer more informative
research results, although this approach still lacks robustness
and scientific rigor. “Cutting edge” studies and
methodological analyses are welcomed that address measurement,
statistical, methodological and practical challenges to prevention
science, as well as the benefits offered by various innovative
methods.
Special Interest Areas:
• Integrating qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Analysis of multi-level data from community studies.
• Issues modeling cross-level interactions in community-based
studies.
• Translating cutting-edge analytic methods into approaches
that are accessible to both researchers and consumers of prevention
science.
All
abstracts are submitted on-line at www.preventionresearch.org
The
abstract site will open Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Deadline
for Submission: Monday, October 29, 2007
Acceptance decisions are expected early March 2008.
Society
for Prevention Research
11240 Waples Mill Road, Ste 200
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-934-4850, 703-359-7562 fax
info@preventionresearch.org
www.preventionresearch.org
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