8th EUSPR Conference and Members’ Meeting „Quality in Prevention“ 20th – 22nd September 2017, Vienna, Austria

Over the previous decade, there have been important achievements in the field of prevention science. Our understanding of the development of health and social behaviours, and refinement of new research methodologies, quality standards and  programmes, has allowed us to better respond to the needs of target populations. Most European countries now deliver some form of preventive actions across different policy domains, although some actions are less well developed than others. However, implementation science (the study of methods that influence the integration of evidence-based interventions into policy and practice settings) is relatively under-utilised in Europe, and little centralised attention has been paid with regards to which interventions and components prevention strategies comprise, and how they are organised and delivered. Literature reviews and systems mapping, for example, suggest that effective interventions are in the minority of those that have been evaluated, and that these effective approaches are rarely implemented in practice.

Therefore, the main theme of this year’s EUSPR conference focuses on improving quality in prevention. Our keynote speakers and attendees were discussing next questions:

• How can we improve the organisation of ambitious integrative actions that promote partnerships between researchers, practitioners, policy makers and the public?
• How has our understanding of quality in prevention science developed, and how influential might initiatives such as the SPR standards for evidence for efficacy, effectiveness, and scale-up research be?
• What does ‘high quality’ training and education in prevention look like?
• What is the role of ethics in supporting the development of the prevention field?
• How best can we promote the use of evidence in policy and practice whilst supporting diversity and innovation?
• What do researchers and practitioners need to know in order to influence the policy making process, and should we be realistic about what we can achieve?
• How has the field responded to quality standards and guidelines in prevention with respect to research priorities and practice?
• How do we improve the identification and implementation of evidence based prevention programmes and actions?
• What are some of the key methodological and conceptual developments that will advance the prevention field?

The European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR) promotes the development of prevention science, and its application to practice so as to promote human health and well-being through high quality research, evidence based interventions, policies and practices. EUSPR conferences attract a diverse group of participants, not just from Europe, but internationally.  In addition to academics and researchers, policy and decision makers, practitioners and prevention coordinators are well represented and will benefit from attendance.

We’ve participated on the conference with two oral presentations as follows:

(1) Mihić, J., Ferić, M., Kranželić, V., Novak, M., Križan H.: “MEASURING FAMILY RESILIENCE IN AT-RISK AND GENERAL POPULATION YOUTH” (link to presentation 1)

(2) Kovčo Vukadin, I., Valentina Kranželić, V.,  Martina Ferić, N., Križan H.: “ETHICAL CHALLENGES IN STUDYING FAMILIES AT RISK – EXPERIENCES FROM THE PILOT STUDY OF THE FAMRESPLAN RESEARCH PROJECT” (link to presentation 2).