Virtual Posters
Asynchronous Session
The Genesis of the Fourth-generation Multi-theory Model of Health Behavior Change in Health Promotion View Digital Media
Poster Session Manoj Sharma
The field of health promotion research began in the 1960s with knowledge-based interventions that were derived from knowledge attitude practices (KAP) surveys. These were the first-generation interventions. In the 1970s and 1980s, second-generation interventions that emphasized the development of skills such as cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, first-aid, etc. became popular. These were followed by third-generation evidence-based interventions in the 1990s and 2000s that utilized behavioral theories and focused on acquiring healthy behaviors such as those based on social cognitive theory, theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behavior, etc. In recent years, fourth-generation multi-theory interventions that are brief and precise have gained popularity in the field of health promotion research. One such framework developed in 2015 is the multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change. This model is about behavior change as opposed to mere behavior acquisition, is exclusively developed for the field of health promotion, imbibes modifiable and empirically tested constructs from previous theories, is parsimonious, caters to both short-term and long-term behavior change, and is applicable across cultures. The presentation shares this model and its applications using qualitative, cross-sectional, and experimental designs from around the world based on a systematic review, and its future directions in health promotion research.
Transitioning Back to Work after a Concussion: Training and Education to Help Set Up Employers and Employees for Success View Digital Media
Poster Session Richard Bomgardner
Occupational health, safety education, and training are vital for employers to maintain an injury free environment. While many workplace injuries have unexpected outcomes, one of the most distressing is employee head injuries. According to a fact sheet by the Brain injury Association of America in 2024, adult employees who survived a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion are more than 50% likely to no longer have a job after five years. Returning to work after a concussion or TBI can be a life altering experience. Occupational duties from various labor trades affect workplace head injury rates. Return to employment criteria can be divided into separate areas, encompassing return to the work environment and return to work duties. Work accommodation focuses on adjustments to employment duties during the return-to-work transition period and often include modified work duties and/or hours, change of job assignments, gradual return to full work capacity, additional work breaks, or job environmental modifications. After transitioning back to employment duties, the quality of work production depends upon the type of occupation, full or part-time employment, as well as job task or specific duties. Implementing evidence-based practices can assist employers and employees during this transition process.
Optimizing Oral Health Outcomes through Public Health Strategy: A Comparative Analysis of Structural and Behavioral Determinants of Oral Health in Cuba, Spain, and Mexico View Digital Media
Poster Session Alexandra Yuan
This study investigates the correlation between the healthcare system design and the prevalence of oral health diseases in three Spanish-speaking countries: Spain, Mexico, and Cuba. The aforementioned countries represent the three predominant different healthcare and structures: universal public healthcare with integrated dental services (Cuba), decentralized universal public healthcare with limited dental services (Spain), and fragmented public-private healthcare system (Mexico). Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and national health agencies is utilized to assess the prevalence of periodontal disease and dental caries in relation to healthcare structure, per capita healthcare and dental expenditure, and preventative measures. Despite Cuba’s universal coverage and comprehensive dental services, it shows unexpectedly high periodontal disease and caries prevalence, potentially due to high sugar consumption and weak hygiene behaviors. Spain, despite offering limited public dental care, presents the most favorable outcomes, possibly attributed to the greater expenditure on oral health and healthier lifestyle factors. Mexico’s progressive public health policies, especially the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), exhibit success in reducing caries among permanent teeth despite systemic access disparities in the fragmented healthcare system. Ultimately, this study works to identify patterns in healthcare systems, national policies, and preventative measures to inform policymakers of effective elements to consider when refining current oral health services.
Roads Converge: Cycling, Ageing, and Embodied Health View Digital Media
Poster Session Damian Rivers, Michael Vallance
Cycling is increasingly recognised as a pathway to health and mental wellbeing, yet empirical accounts grounded in lived experience—particularly in later life—remain limited. This poster presents a collaborative auto-ethnographic study centred on the development of www.hakodatecycle.jp, a website to promote cycling culture in southern Hokkaido, Japan. The two author-researchers entered the project from contrasting physiological and biographical starting points: one, a lifelong cyclist grappling with mid-life metabolic decline and declining motivation; the other, a newly retired non-athlete who, inspired by the gift of an old bicycle, discovered unexpected levels of fitness, vitality, and self-confidence in his mid-sixties. Their intersecting trajectories offer a reflexive lens on ageing, embodiment, and health promotion through sport. The poster explores how their shared engagement with cycling—and with the co-creation of a digital community platform—has shaped their personal health narratives, supported mutual motivation, and fostered broader public engagement. It considers how cycling, as both a physical activity and a technologically mediated practice, enables dynamic reconfigurations of identity, capability, and connection in later life. The authors contend that the website itself functions as a “third space”—an evolving interface between personal health practice and public knowledge-sharing—supporting community wellness, age-inclusive participation, and conversations around active transport in the region. By highlighting the emotional, social, and technological dimensions of cycling across the ageing spectrum, the poster invites scholars, educators, and practitioners to reconceptualise cycling not only as exercise, but as an embodied and socially embedded form of health education and promotion across the lifespan.
Circular RNA - a Next-Generation Therapeutic Platform for Sustained Protein Expression: A Head-to-Head Comparison of circRNA and mRNA for Long-Lasting Therapeutic Applications View Digital Media
Poster Session Nelly Andrews
Circular RNA (circRNA) is emerging as a next-generation therapeutic platform capable of sustaining protein expression over extended periods, offering a promising alternative to conventional therapies and messenger RNA (mRNA)-based interventions. Its covalently closed structure provides exceptional stability and resistance to degradation, enabling prolonged protein production. In contrast, mRNA, while enabling transient cytoplasmic expression without altering the genome, is inherently unstable and rapidly cleared, limiting its therapeutic durability. In this study, we directly compared circRNA and mRNA under identical experimental conditions across diverse cellular microenvironments. CircRNA demonstrated superior expression efficiency and kinetics, achieving higher total protein output, prolonged expression, and delayed clearance. The magnitude of these advantages was cell type–dependent: the highest benefit was observed in endothelial microenvironments, followed by tumor microenvironments, while in highly phagocytic immune microenvironments, both circRNA and mRNA were rapidly cleared, minimizing any advantage, indicating that tissue-specific factors critically influence circRNA performance. These results show that while circRNA generally outperforms mRNA in protein expression and stability, its therapeutic benefits vary with cellular context. By benchmarking circRNA against mRNA across multiple microenvironments, this study provides a framework for guiding the rational design of RNA-based therapeutics. Overall, circRNA represents a promising platform that combines enhanced stability, reduced immunogenicity, and sustained protein production, advancing the development of next-generation treatments for chronic diseases.
