Aims & Scope
Journal of Pediatric Health and Nutrition (JPHN) publishes population-level research on nutritional epidemiology, growth surveillance, disease prevention strategies, and health systems affecting children from birth through adolescence.
Nutritional Epidemiology
Growth Surveillance
Disease Prevention
Public Health Policy
Health Systems Research
We do NOT consider: Individual clinical case management, surgical techniques, diagnostic protocols, or therapeutic interventions without population-level analysis.
Core Research DomainsTier 1
Nutritional Epidemiology & Growth Patterns
- Population-based nutritional assessment methodologies
- Malnutrition surveillance systems (stunting, wasting, micronutrient deficiencies)
- Obesity prevalence studies and metabolic syndrome epidemiology
- Feeding practice patterns across populations (breastfeeding, complementary feeding)
- Food security determinants and dietary diversity metrics
- Growth trajectory modeling and anthropometric surveillance
Typical Fit:
"Prevalence and risk factors for iron deficiency anemia in children aged 6-24 months: A multi-country surveillance analysis using WHO growth standards"
Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Prevention
- Vaccine effectiveness studies and immunization coverage analysis
- Infectious disease burden estimation and surveillance methods
- Outbreak investigation methodologies in pediatric populations
- Environmental determinants of infectious disease transmission
- Antimicrobial resistance patterns in community settings
- Preventive intervention effectiveness (handwashing, sanitation programs)
Typical Fit:
"Impact of rotavirus vaccination on diarrheal disease hospitalization rates: A 10-year population-based cohort study"
Chronic Disease Risk & Behavioral Health Surveillance
- Childhood obesity prevention program evaluation
- Cardiovascular risk factor prevalence in pediatric populations
- Type 2 diabetes incidence trends and prevention strategies
- Mental health disorder prevalence and screening programs
- Developmental disorder surveillance systems (ADHD, autism spectrum)
- Sleep health patterns and their population-level correlates
Typical Fit:
"Trends in childhood obesity prevalence by socioeconomic status: Analysis of national health survey data 2010-2023"
Health Systems & Policy Research
- Healthcare access disparities and utilization patterns
- School-based health intervention effectiveness
- Community health program evaluation and implementation science
- Health policy impact assessment on child health outcomes
- Social determinants of health in pediatric populations
- Health equity research and intervention strategies
Typical Fit:
"Effectiveness of school-based nutrition education programs on dietary behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis"
Secondary Focus AreasTier 2
Environmental Health Epidemiology
Population-level studies on environmental toxicology, air quality impacts, water safety, and injury prevention surveillance systems affecting pediatric health outcomes.
Methodological Innovations
Novel statistical approaches for pediatric health data analysis, surveillance system design, risk prediction models, and health measurement tools validated in population settings.
Global Health & Cross-Cultural Studies
Comparative epidemiology across countries, health system performance analysis, implementation research in low-resource settings, and cultural determinants of health behaviors.
Digital Health & Telemedicine Evaluation
Population-level assessment of digital health interventions, telemedicine access patterns, mobile health program effectiveness, and health information technology impact on care delivery.
Emerging Research AreasTier 3
Selective Consideration - Additional Editorial Review Required
- Artificial intelligence applications in pediatric health surveillance and risk prediction modeling
- Genomic epidemiology and precision public health approaches in pediatric populations
- Climate change impacts on child health outcomes and adaptation strategies
- Microbiome research with population-level health implications
- Novel biomarkers for population health screening and surveillance
Note: Manuscripts in these areas must demonstrate clear population-level relevance and public health applicability. Purely laboratory-based or mechanistic studies without epidemiological context are not suitable.
Out of Scope
Explicitly Excluded Topics
✗ Clinical Case Management & Individual Patient Care
Rationale: Case reports, case series, clinical treatment protocols, and individual diagnostic approaches lack population-level generalizability. JPHN focuses on epidemiological patterns, not clinical practice guidelines.
✗ Surgical Techniques & Procedural Interventions
Rationale: Pediatric surgery, orthopedic procedures, cardiology interventions, and endocrinology treatment protocols are clinical specialties outside our epidemiological scope. Population-level surgical outcome studies may be considered if they address health systems or access issues.
✗ Basic Science & Mechanistic Studies Without Population Context
Rationale: Laboratory studies on disease mechanisms, genetic pathways, or cellular processes without direct population health application or epidemiological analysis are not within scope.
✗ Pharmaceutical Trials & Drug Development
Rationale: Clinical trials of specific medications, pharmacokinetic studies, and drug efficacy research are clinical pharmacology topics. Post-market surveillance studies with population-level safety data may be considered.
✗ Neonatology & Prematurity Clinical Management
Rationale: Individual neonatal intensive care protocols and premature infant treatment strategies are clinical topics. Population-based studies on neonatal mortality trends, preterm birth risk factors, or NICU outcomes disparities are within scope.
Article Types & Editorial Priorities
Priority 1: Fast-Track
Expedited Review (4-6 weeks)
- Original Research Articles (population-based studies)
- Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
- Methodological Papers (surveillance, measurement tools)
- Large-Scale Cohort Studies
- Health Policy Impact Assessments
Priority 2: Standard
Regular Review (6-8 weeks)
- Short Communications (preliminary findings)
- Data Notes (surveillance data, registries)
- Perspectives & Commentaries (policy implications)
- Implementation Science Reports
- Validation Studies (screening tools, questionnaires)
Rarely Considered
Selective Review
- Opinion Pieces (must address major policy debates)
- Narrative Reviews (only if addressing critical gaps)
- Letters to Editor (substantive methodological critiques)
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines
STROBE for observational studies, CONSORT for trials, PRISMA for systematic reviews, RECORD for routinely collected data
Data Transparency
Data sharing statement required. De-identified datasets encouraged in public repositories. Statistical code availability preferred.
Ethics Approval
IRB/ethics committee approval mandatory for human subjects research. Informed consent documentation required. Vulnerable populations protections.
Preprint Policy
Preprints accepted and encouraged. Authors must disclose preprint servers. Final published version will be linked to preprint.
Editorial Performance Metrics
21
Days to First Decision
54%
Acceptance Rate
4
Days to Publication
Open
Access Model
