Young People's Association

For those attending the Japanese Association of Public Health General Meeting for the first time
We will produce and distribute "Welcome Stickers"!

This sticker will be attached to the name holder.I'm nervous, but I've come all the way to the conference and I want to get some useful information and advice.We created this with the intention of gently supporting the feelings of first-time participants who say, ``I want to try this out.''
The conference began with voices from people who wanted to become more familiar with the field of public health, including those attending for the first time, people from other fields who had become interested in public health, people from local government, and university and high school students.
We also have stickers for veterans who are used to attending conferences. Please remember how you felt when you first attended a conference and support first-time participants.

"Chappy" is a Shizuoka mascot for promoting purpose in life and health. The character for first-time participants represents "connection," while the character for veterans represents "listening carefully to what you have to say." Both characters also include the word "Welcome," which expresses a welcoming attitude.

Message from Chairperson Nanako Tamiya

University of Tsukuba Medical
University of Tsukuba Health Service Development Research Center

What was your most enjoyable or memorable experience attending a Public Health Society academic conference so far?

I think one of the great joys of academic conferences is being able to broaden my world by speaking directly with many senior colleagues and distinguished professors that I would not normally have the opportunity to speak to, and sometimes, if I'm lucky, being treated to a meal.
One episode I would like to share is when, when I was still a novice, a senior colleague invited me to dinner, and when I tried to decline by saying, "I have to prepare a presentation tomorrow," he flatly rejected me, saying, "You can't just come to a conference to prepare! You need to prepare thoroughly beforehand, and when you get here, you need to make the most of opportunities like this!"

For those who will be attending the conference for the first time, please tell us how you would like to enjoy the conference.

Read the program carefully in advance and make sure you can attend everything that interests you. It's quite complicated, but do your best! Also, if there's anything that you're curious about after listening to other people's presentations, humbly raise your hand and ask a question, even if it's an oral presentation. If you don't have the courage, you can ask a question individually after it's over. When it comes to posters, the hurdle is low, so be sure to carefully ask what they think. First of all, it's about connecting with people, so even if you make your own business cards (something memorable is better), don't forget! It's all about experience and practice! When you go to an academic conference, don't just gather information, but also be sure to make a presentation yourself.

For those who will be presenting at a conference for the first time, please share some tips and tricks for presenting at a conference.

The golden rule is to state the most important things first, clearly and concisely. On top of that, state your thoughts sincerely and concisely (without being too long!). And the title is very important. Imagine yourself as a copywriter, write several and choose the one that resonates with you. Even if you write out a script and practice, when it comes to the real thing, you should use your own words, think about why you are making this presentation and all the hard work you have put in up until now, and put your heart into it! And, make sure you have all your preparations done before coming to the conference venue! Once you are there, make sure you use all your time for social activities!

Message from Chairman Hiroyasu Iso

National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Global Health Policy Research Center

What was your most enjoyable or memorable experience attending a Public Health Society academic conference so far?

At the time, the Japanese Society of Public Health did not have a medical training residency system, so I joined the society when I entered graduate school and worked on stroke prevention measures in Ikawa Town, Akita Prefecture, and Kyowa District, Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture. I still remember the sense of accomplishment I felt when I gave my first oral presentation at an academic conference, after practicing it many times. I also compiled the results of my research into a doctoral thesis, which was submitted to a public health journal and published, marking my first step as a researcher.

For those who will be attending the conference for the first time, please tell us how you would like to enjoy the conference.

With just under 10,000 members, our society is the largest in the field of social medicine. Many members are from the administrative field, and their professions are diverse, including doctors, dentists, veterinarians, nurses, public health nurses, dietitians, laboratory technicians, radiology technicians, physical therapists, and epidemiologists and humanities. You can enjoy learning about research results from a variety of fields, interacting with researchers and international students from overseas through training and free meetings, expanding your network at young people's meetings, and experiencing the culture and traditions of the prefecture where the conference is held, which changes every year.

For those who will be presenting at a conference for the first time, please share some tips and tricks for presenting at a conference.

First, prepare an abstract with the advice of your supervisor or senior colleagues. Once your abstract is accepted, create a PPT or poster and practice your Q&A session in a rehearsal. Presentations can be nerve-wracking, and it's common to not be able to answer questions well during the Q&A session, but this is a valuable experience and will be a great help when writing your paper. Every year, several papers are selected for the Outstanding Paper Award from among the papers submitted and published in public health journals, which is a great encouragement to the winners.

Message from Chika Shirai

Hirakata City Health Center

What was your most enjoyable or memorable experience attending a Public Health Society academic conference so far?

My first presentation at the Japan Society of Public Health was a poster presentation in Sapporo 30 years ago. The theme of my presentation was "Collaboration with Occupational Health from the Perspective of Community Health," and I summarized the results of my research into the health management of employees at small and medium-sized enterprises under the jurisdiction of public health centers. The professor of public health at the university I was affiliated with criticized me many times during the preparation stage, but on the day of my presentation, I was unexpectedly praised by a veteran professor who was listening to my presentation, which I remember as an incentive.

For those who will be attending the conference for the first time, please tell us how you would like to enjoy the conference.

If possible, please join us from the general meeting and opening ceremony to enjoy the excitement of the start. There are many symposiums throughout the three days, and you will have a lot of eye-opening learning experiences. You can choose a lunch seminar with the aim of getting a delicious lunch, or you can join with the intention of increasing the number of public health friends and having them remember your name! Check out the free meeting on the first night, "What is public health? Is it delicious?" and take a look.

For those who will be presenting at a conference for the first time, please share some tips and tricks for presenting at a conference.

The timing of your presentation is also a chance to exchange business cards with the people who asked you questions and promote yourself, so take the opportunity to try to connect with them! Even if you're not giving a presentation, if there's a topic that interests you or a presentation by someone you know a little about, be brave and raise your hand to ask a question. I get nervous when I think about asking a question (I still do), but that's when my "go for it" switch is on, so I feel a sense of relief and accomplishment after I speak.

Message from Kazumasa Yamagishi

Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Public Health
University of Tsukuba, School of Medicine, Department of Social and Health Sciences

What was your most enjoyable or memorable experience attending a Public Health Society academic conference so far?

In many cases, public health conferences are a first-time experience, and the journey there—even the journey itself—will remain in your memory for a long time to come. Ten or twenty years later, conversations like, "A long time ago, at that conference, Professor XX..." will be linked together with other anecdotes. Many events can occur, such as the author of a paper you cited giving a presentation at a conference, a famous professor coming to talk to you about your poster, or a new friend you met at a free meeting who you hit it off with and formed a research team. The conference venue is overflowing with ideas, and there's sure to be at least one moment during the conference where something you were thinking about suddenly connects with yours and your mind starts spinning. These experiences often lead to new research ideas, something you rarely experience unless you attend an in-person conference.

For those who will be attending the conference for the first time, please tell us how you would like to enjoy the conference.

One of the highlights is the "Outstanding Presentation Award Selection Meeting." Since it's a competition for young presenters nominated through abstracts, many of the presentations are of high quality. You can also evaluate the quality of the presentations together with the judges, compare them with the final presentations, and discuss them with others, which is also a valuable learning experience. Presentation and Q&A sessions are also serious business, so this will be useful for your own presentation. The points the judges ask will also be helpful. Inside the venue, you'll find top researchers and practitioners in the industry loitering around. If you approach them politely, you won't find anyone who's a bit suspicious. Rather, it's a good idea to think of it as a space for building new relationships.

For those who will be presenting at a conference for the first time, please share some tips and tricks for presenting at a conference.

A presentation is not an exam. However, it is an important opportunity to hone your presentation skills. Are the slides easy to understand, are they easy to read, is the explanation easy to understand, is it logically consistent, and is it persuasive? These skills will definitely be useful in research and in working in the government. Think of it as a place to train for that. You can't acquire these skills without practice, so don't just go in for the real thing. Be sure to rehearse beforehand, preferably multiple times, and have someone watch you and tell you how to improve, even if it's someone at work, a teacher, or a family member. It also takes practice to finish speaking within the time limit. You may be nervous the first time you give a presentation, but most people, including the person asking the questions, the chairperson, and the audience, approach the conference with a warm feeling from an educational perspective.

Message from Aki Inao

Sanmu City, Health and Welfare Department, Elderly Support Division

What was your most enjoyable or memorable experience attending a Public Health Society academic conference so far?

I participated for the first time last year, and found that there were many like-minded people, especially from universities, and it was an opportunity to gain various knowledge from around the country that could not be obtained only through local government exchanges within the prefecture, as well as an opportunity to gain ideas and knowledge for my work.

For those who will be attending the conference for the first time, please tell us how you would like to enjoy the conference.

Please visit the exhibition booths. If there are staff at the exhibition booths, you can receive direct explanations about the projects they are working on and interact with them. In addition, some booths distribute materials and original goods. Sanmu City, Chiba Prefecture, has also been exhibiting since last year, so please come and visit us!

For those who will be presenting at a conference for the first time, please share some tips and tricks for presenting at a conference.

I think many people look at the program beforehand and listen with interest. People who speak with confidence tend to have loud voices and are easy to listen to. I know it can be nerve-wracking, but make sure you take a deep breath and speak with confidence!

Message from Munehiro Matsushita

Tokai University, Faculty of Physical Education

What was your most enjoyable or memorable experience attending a Public Health Society academic conference so far?

As someone who normally conducts research into exercise and sports, when I first attended a public health conference I was surprised at the variety of research topics it covered.

For those who will be attending the conference for the first time, please tell us how you would like to enjoy the conference.

Please visit the poster session and talk to presenters in fields that you don't usually have much contact with. You will be inspired to learn more.

For those who will be presenting at a conference for the first time, please share some tips and tricks for presenting at a conference.

The people listening to your presentation are potential fans of your research, and the people coming to ask you questions are people who are interested in your research! Please stay calm and enjoy your presentation!

Message from Hiroshige Jinnouchi

Nippon Medical School, School of Medicine, Department of Hygiene and Public Health
Vice Chair, Youth Activities Committee

What was your most enjoyable or memorable experience attending a Public Health Society academic conference so far?

There is a scene that could be said to be a seasonal feature of the conference. After the evening, the town is filled with conference participants. When I went to eat with a friend, I ended up eating with the participants at the next table. It was a time when I felt a sense of relief from tension in a good way, thinking, "There are a lot of friendly and cheerful participants."

For those who will be attending the conference for the first time, please tell us how you would like to enjoy the conference.

Please feel free to talk about topics other than research. Many participants at public health conferences are knowledgeable about local attractions, as well as delicious food, and you may be able to learn information specific to public health that you won't find in a tourist book.

For those who will be presenting at a conference for the first time, please share some tips and tricks for presenting at a conference.

If you receive a kind comment, talk to them about the troubles you are having at work. If you receive a harsh comment, try to imagine and ask them about the experiences they have had.

Message from Sun Yu

Department of Community Health Education/Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba

What was your most enjoyable or memorable experience attending a Public Health Society academic conference so far?

I was very happy when someone came to my presentation after reading my paper and said to me afterwards, "I read your paper!" I work in general medicine while also working in public health, and because there is a strong affinity between general medicine and public health, I met many people at the conference who, like me, were interested in both and struggling with their careers. It was fun meeting and talking with such people.

For those who will be attending the conference for the first time, please tell us how you would like to enjoy the conference.

At the conference venue, it may be a good idea to prioritize presentations that can only be heard in person, rather than sessions that can be viewed on demand. It's a good idea to proactively ask questions and talk to various people. There will also be various booths, including those of companies, so it's a good idea to walk around and check them out.

For those who will be presenting at a conference for the first time, please share some tips and tricks for presenting at a conference.

Make your slides and posters as easy to understand as possible, and practice your presentation to the point of memorizing it! The person who asked the question was interested, so it would be great to say hello to them afterwards and have a deeper exchange of opinions!

Message from Kazuhiro Abe

Department of Health Policy Evaluation, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University

What was your most enjoyable or memorable experience attending a Public Health Society academic conference so far?

I remember when I gave my first oral presentation of my research at an academic conference as a graduate student, a professor from my undergraduate university came to listen. He encouraged me by saying, "You're doing great. This is an important field, so I have high hopes for you."

For those who will be attending the conference for the first time, please tell us how you would like to enjoy the conference.

This is an opportunity to speak with various public health professionals across the country, so I am trying to find the courage to greet them at social gatherings and sessions. The connections between people may change our lives, which, looking back, may seem inevitable.
In addition, academic conferences are held not only in major cities but all over the country, so you can see places you have never been to before. By talking to local people and experiencing the local culture and history, you can improve your own knowledge and cultivate your values.

For those who will be presenting at a conference for the first time, please share some tips and tricks for presenting at a conference.

It is extremely difficult to clearly convey the full scope of your research and activities in a limited amount of time. That's why I try to tell a story. In other words, if I can tell a series of stories (non-fiction) about what the challenges were, the limitations of previous research, how those limitations were overcome, what the methods were, what the results were, and what insights were gained from the results, I think I can effectively communicate my message to those listening.
However, I myself have not yet reached that level.

Message from Naoaki Kuroda

National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Department of Public Mental Health Medical Research

What was your most enjoyable or memorable experience attending a Public Health Society academic conference so far?

I may not be able to participate with enough composure to say it was "the most fun." I still feel nervous every time I head to the venue. But I'm glad I participated and presented because I met colleagues who empathize with the struggles and worries I have in the field. There are countless research topics, but research that can help solve the problems of people who are working hard is worth the challenge.

For those who will be attending the conference for the first time, please tell us how you would like to enjoy the conference.

I first attended the Japanese Society of Public Health in my 40s. It brings together people from a variety of positions and backgrounds, including practitioners, civil servants, and people from the private sector. Why did they choose public health? Listen to the stories of each person's thoughts and interests. This conference, where the wisdom and experiences of diverse people intersect, gives you the feeling that you are a part of it. I think that's one of the best parts of attending a conference. And within that, reexamine the scope of the work you want to accomplish.

For those who will be presenting at a conference for the first time, please share some tips and tricks for presenting at a conference.

Narrow down what you want to communicate and choose clear, specific words. Including a few anecdotes will make it easier for your audience to understand. There may be others who are giving better presentations on the same topic than you. However, your experience is unique, and that is what makes it valuable. A presentation is a great opportunity to organize your knowledge and deepen your thoughts. Even if it doesn't go well, it's part of the process of sharpening your thinking skills. With the help of your audience, think of it as a time to gradually make yourself smarter and move forward.

Message from Yuri Akamatsu

Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Social and Public Health, Health Informatics

What was your most enjoyable or memorable experience attending a Public Health Society academic conference so far?

Due to the impact of COVID-19, I have only presented and participated in public health conferences online, with the 2024 conference in Sapporo being my first in-person experience. I gave a poster presentation, but it was particularly memorable to experience for the first time in a long time the joy and excitement of discussing with those who came and stopped by in person, as well as with other professors presenting nearby. Furthermore, I was invited to speak at the conference as a symposium speaker after my research was published in a public health journal, and this opportunity to broaden my network and perspective was an invaluable asset. This conference made me realize the importance of working hard and honestly, even in small steps.

For those who will be attending the conference for the first time, please tell us how you would like to enjoy the conference.

Public Health conferences feature people from a variety of professions conducting research and activities from diverse perspectives, making both lectures and posters extremely educational. Be sure to check the abstracts and program in advance, and then pick a specific event to attend. In your free time, strolling around the poster and exhibition halls can lead to new worlds, perspectives, activities, and research. It's also a good idea to take notes on slides and posters you find easy to understand and use them to improve your own skills. While asking questions in front of a large group at a lecture requires courage, poster presentations are recommended because they allow you to ask questions directly to the presenter one-on-one. Finally, take advantage of your free time or evenings to enjoy the conference site, including sightseeing, dining, and history.

For those who will be presenting at a conference for the first time, please share some tips and tricks for presenting at a conference.

At least as far as I know, there are no professors in public health societies who criticize other people's research. There is no presentation in the world without some points to be made, and every research piece is valuable at the moment it is published. Therefore, presenting is a wonderful experience, and if people ask you questions, you should be happy that they have "shown interest." To encourage more in-depth questions, please prepare your presentation materials with careful consideration of readability, including font, ease of understanding for non-specialists, and, if you have time, keeping the volume within the allotted time. Before presenting, I recommend getting guidance from someone at your institution and having someone unfamiliar with your research field listen to your presentation.