| Is
There Quality in Qualitative Analysis?
Last February, I had the opportunity of attending a
conference sponsored by the CDC called "The Social Context of
Pregnancy among African-American Women: Implications for Preterm
Delivery Prevention." A number of other SPER members attended,
including Mark Klebanoff, Ken Schoendorf, and John Kiely. The conference
description indicated that the goals of the meeting were to synthesize
existing qualitative, epidemiologic, and basic research, identify gaps
in knowledge, and assess intervention options. Whew, that sounded great!
I attended the conference with hopes of learning what
new knowledge exists about the tragic enigma of the very high rates of
preterm birth in African-American women and of applying some of this
knowledge to my own research. The speakers included individuals from a |
number of
inner city projects sponsored by the CDC. I found their presentations to
be powerful and to offer real kernels of insight into the daily
stressors affecting Black pregnant women in Atlanta and other urban
centers. Among other presentations was an excellent talk by Pathik
Wadhwa covering state-of-the-art material about stress and preterm
birth.
The afternoon was intended to pull the various strands
of information together, using break-out sessions led by a facilitator.
Despite good efforts and intentions by the facilitators and
participants, the results of this synthesis seemed less than what I had
hoped for.
In retrospect, it was unrealistic of me to expect a
two-day conference to achieve all of the goals of synthesis that were
attempted. Nonetheless, this conference did have some real
accomplishments. It represented a start towards bridging the gap between
qualitative work and more |
traditional
epidemiology. It brought together a broad spectrum of people working to
understand the problems of pregnant African American women, and
highlighted the work of several innovative inner city projects. The
organizers set ambitious goals, and made a first step toward reaching
them.
So, is there quality in qualitative analysis? There
certainly was quality in the people and their work that was presented at
this conference. More work needs to be done to understand how we can
integrate this knowledge in our own efforts to attack this important
public health problem. Perhaps SPER can play a role in bridging this
gap! I can think of no better goal for our organization for 2000.
Best wishes to all SPER members for the Holidays!
Paul Meis |
| Thirteenth
Annual Meeting Call for Abstracts
SPER requests the submission of abstracts to be
considered for posters and oral presentations at its Thirteenth Annual
Meeting in Seattle on June 13–14, 2000. You do not have to be a member
to submit an abstract, but if your abstract is accepted, we ask you to
join before presenting your paper. We particularly encourage students to
submit abstracts. Students attending SPER for the first time are not
required to pay the registration fee for the meeting.
Abstracts must be received by the Secretary of SPER no
later than February 15, 2000. Abstracts that are late or sent by
fax or e–mail cannot be accepted. Authors will be sent notification of
the Abstract Review Committee’s decision by April 14. This
committee is chaired by Mark Klebanoff.
The guidelines for submitting abstracts are enclosed
in this newsletter. Please review them carefully and follow the
instructions closely. If you have any questions, contact Suzan
Carmichael at (510) 597–2342 or sca@cbdmp.org.
Student Prize Paper Award
This competition is open to graduate, medical, and
postdoctoral students, and to medical residents and clinical fellows.
All SPER members are asked to encourage eligible students to submit
papers to be considered for this award. The meeting will provide a
unique opportunity for a student not only to present his or her paper
but also to meet and interact with experts in reproductive, perinatal,
and pediatric epidemiology. |
Deadline for
submission is March 10. Detailed submission guidelines are
enclosed in this newsletter. The selection committee is chaired by Edem
Ekwo; you may contact him for more information at (773) 363-6700, ext
332 or eekwo@smtp.mcis.uchicago.edu.
Applicants will be notified of the committee’s
decision by April 14.
Heinz Berendes
International Travel Award
Also included in this newsletter is the application
for the Heinz Berendes International Travel Award. The award will cover
the recipient’s travel expenses to the 13th Annual Meeting
in Seattle, in addition to an honorarium of $250. Papers that emphasize
populations in developing countries are encouraged.
Deadline for submission is March 10. Please
refer to the insert for more details. The selection committee is chaired
by Paul Meis; you may contact him for additional information at (336)
716-2100 or pmeis@wfubmc.edu.
Applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision by April 14.
Nominations for New Officers
Nominations are being sought for SPER’s President
and one Member–at–Large. The President serves a three–year term as
President–Elect, President, and Past President. The Member–at–Large
serves a four–year term. A nomination form and a brief description of
each office are included in this newsletter. |
The leadership and
direction of SPER depend on your nominations, so please send them in! If
you do nominate another member of SPER, please obtain his or her
consent. Also, we encourage self–nominations!
A slate of candidates will be presented to the
membership for elections in March. You may contact Ken Schoendorf for
additional information (contact information is provided on the
nomination form). Nominations are due by January 28.
Contact Information
For general information
about SPER, contact Suzan Carmichael, PhD, Secretary, at (510) 597–2342
or sca@cbdmp.org
For membership information, contact Cande Ananth, PhD, Treasurer,
at (732) 235–7940 or ananthcv@epi.umdnj.edu.
|
|
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICERS
SOCIETY FOR PEDIATRIC AND PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGIC
RESEARCH
In March 2000, the Society will elect a new President-Elect and
Member-at-Large. The following guidelines describe eligibility for
nomination and the responsibilities of each position. A nomination form
is also included.
Eligibility
Any member of SPER may nominate herself or himself or any other
member of the Society.
Responsibilities and duties
President-Elect
1. The officer serves a three-year term as President-Elect,
President, and Past President.
2. The President-Elect works with the President to develop plans for
the Annual Meeting and is in
charge of selecting the Student Prize Paper
Award recipient.
3. The President-Elect for 2000-2001 will become the President for
2001-2002. The President
designs the program for the Annual Meeting, is in
charge of Executive Committee
decision-making, and selects the Heinz Berendes
International Travel Award recipient.
4. The President-Elect will remain on the SPER Executive Committee
for a third year as
Past-President after her or his term as President,
providing input to decision-making as
needed.
Member-at-Large
1. Members-at-Large serve a four-year term; they are involved in the
planning and
decision-making of the Society’s annual meeting and
its future directions.
2. The four Members-at-Large each chair one of the various committees
of the Society. These
committees include Membership, Nominations and
Elections, Abstract Review, and Abstract
Publication.
Questions?
If you have further questions about the nomination process or
responsibilities associated with each office, please contact Ken
Schoendorf, MD, MPH at (301) 458-4486 or kxs2@cdc.gov. |
|
NOMINATION FORM for OFFICERS
SOCIETY FOR PEDIATRIC AND PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGIC
RESEARCH
Include the following information (please use a separate form for each
nomination):
Name of candidate ________________________________ Degree(s)
_________________
Current institutional affiliation(s)
_________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Other pertinent background information
___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
A brief summary of the candidate’s ideas, projects, and interests
for the future direction of SPER. (You may use a separate sheet of
paper, but please be brief!)
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Check the position for which you are nominating the candidate:
____ President–Elect ____ Member–at–Large
Nominated by SPER Member:
Name ________________________________
Signature ________________________________ Date ________________
To nominate a candidate, please complete this form and send by mail,
fax or e–mail by January 28, 2000, to:
Ken Schoendorf, MD, MPH
National Center for Health Statistics
6525 Belcrest Rd., Room 790
Hyattsville, MD 20782
Phone: (301) 458–4486
Fax: (301) 458–4038
E–mail: kxs2@cdc.gov |
