New Horizons in Prevention Science: Multilevel Interventions for Systemic Challenges
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

May 26 - May 29, 2026
Hyatt Regency, Washington, DC

1. Special theme #1: Multilevel Interventions for Systemic Challenges: Social Determinants of Health

   Despite a growing recognition of systemic supports for health, wellbeing, and educational outcomes as well as common and diverse pathways through which risk and protection are conferred, prevention science interventions are still predominantly focused on individual- or family-level versus community- and societal-level processes and outcomes. A shift towards designing multilevel interventions that focus on these more macro or distal determinants of health will involve changes in how interventions are designed as well as in thinking about defining immediate and longer-term outcomes. We seek submissions for this special theme that address:

   • An explicit discussion of how the intervention addresses multilevel factors to improve health, wellbeing, or educational outcomes;
   • The co-development of interventions and/or research, with community and/or in interdisciplinary teams, of interventions with attention to processes of team science;
   • A process for applying/expanding current theoretical models to account for various social determinants of health; and
   • Efforts to isolate the impact of intervention components across different levels.

2. Special Theme #2: Multilevel Interventions for Systemic Challenges: Methodological Considerations

   To evaluate multilevel interventions new rigorous methods and statistical designs are needed. These methodological advances are needed to understand both the factors that support intervention implementation as well as to provide nuanced understanding of for whom and in what circumstances multilevel interventions are effective. In addition, designs need to be able to allow for the testing of impeding or synergistic intervention components. We seek submissions that contribute to this special theme that address:

   • Use of flexible (e.g., adaptive trials), mixed methods, and/or quasi-experimental designs to understand impact of various components;
   • Advances in understanding how to account for non-independence of samples as well as power calculations for interaction effects and moderation/mediation effects;
   • The testing of multilevel interventions that account for nonlinear interactions, feedback loops with-and-between systems, and/or assess outcomes across levels; and
   • Discussion of causal inference including relative intervention timing, cross-level moderation/mediation, and measurement.

3. Special Theme #3: Multilevel Interventions for Systemic Challenges: Implementation and Dissemination

   Given that multilevel interventions include interacting multiple components across multiple levels, implementation science is foundational to both understanding and supporting intervention processes and sustaining preventative interventions. Implementation science is founded in a belief that both intervention and setting level factors are key determinants of intervention adoption, implementation, and sustainment. Also critical within this is an understanding of the balance between fidelity and adaptation and its role in sustainability of interventions. Finally, incorporation of more macro levels of interventions brings to the forefront new ethical considerations. We seek submissions that contribute to this special theme that address:

   • Discussion of strategies for sustainment of multilevel interventions including understanding intervention and setting level characteristics as well as cost considerations;
   • Planning and measurement of fidelity and/or adaptation of multilevel interventions and impact on outcomes; and
   • Discussion of ethical considerations such as equity in access, burden, and outcomes of multilevel interventions, as well as informed consent and privacy and data protection for intervention participants.

1. Epidemiology and Etiology

   Submissions focused on describing distributions and patterns of health (including but not limited to, e.g., anxiety, cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression, HIV/AIDS, injury, substance use disorders, violence) and on identifying risk and protective targets of preventive interventions are welcomed. Submissions with a developmental and/or life-course approach, or that include genetic, neurobiological, equity, and/or contextual factors, are particularly encouraged.

2. Development and Testing of Interventions

   Preventive interventions can be tested for efficacy under conditions of high quality-assurance and strong research designs and tested for effectiveness under real-world conditions in settings and systems and with diverse populations. Submissions reporting findings from efficacy or effectiveness trials (including pilot studies with preliminary outcome data) are welcomed. Submissions that combine the findings of such trials with one or more of the special conference themes are particularly encouraged.

3. Dissemination and Implementation Science

   Dissemination, implementation, and translational science bridge the gap between research and everyday practice through a dynamic, collaborative process between the public health community and researchers. Submissions advancing scientific understanding of dissemination, implementation, and translation, including cost-efficient sustainability of preventive interventions into systems, are welcomed. Submissions that focus on program dissemination and implementation outcomes; dissemination and implementation processes; individual-, provider-, organizational-, and/or system-level factors; and community- and system-collaborator and decision-maker engagement are particularly encouraged.

4. Research, Policy, and Practice

   Decision-makers around the world emphasize evidence-based policy reform. New policy initiatives at local, state, and national levels require scientific evidence to guide further policy change. Submissions that evaluate or estimate the effects of planned, new, or existing policies, examine the impact of efficacious programs in emerging policy contexts, or demonstrate how empirical research has been used to inform and guide new policies are welcomed. A wide variety of content areas are welcomed, including both emergent areas (e.g., cannabis legalization, immigration policy, climate change impacts) and ongoing areas (e.g., anti-bullying laws/policies, cancer screening, education policy, firearm policy, medication adherence, mental and physical health parity, obesity prevention) of concern. Submissions that describe and evaluate processes by which policies have been formed, developed, and implemented are encouraged. Submissions focused on international research or comparative research across policy contexts and submissions that combine findings of such research with one of the special conference themes are particularly encouraged.

5. Innovative Methods and Statistics

   Submissions focused on “leading-edge” study designs and analytical approaches that address challenges to unlocking information contained in prevention science data, including studies on quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches, are welcomed. Submissions that use advanced methods and statistics but do not study directly a novel methodological or statistical question should be submitted to one of the other themes. Submissions addressing novel methodological or statistical challenges in studies promoting health equity are particularly encouraged. Submissions should highlight the prevention science challenges that these innovative designs and approaches can address, as well as the benefits gained by using these techniques.

6. International Drug and Alcohol Use Prevention Poster Session

   Posters should highlight research on the prevention of drug use, prevention of drug use in combination with alcohol use, or prevention of HIV/AIDS in the context of drug use or drug and alcohol use. A separate call for poster abstracts is available at https://preventionresearch.org/2026-annual-meeting/call-for-poster-abstracts-international-drug-and-alcohol-use-prevention-poster-session/.

Begin a submission to the following: