Aims & Scope
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
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)
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
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
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
Article Types & Editorial Priorities
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
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)
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.
