Announcements

Preventing Chronic Disease Seeks Volunteers as Associate Editors and for Editorial Board and Statistics Review Committee

Announcement posted 3/9/23

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) is a peer-reviewed public health journal sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and authored by experts worldwide. The journal’s mission is to promote dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers on the integration and application of research findings and practical experience to address health disparities, advance health equity, and improve population health.

The journal seeks to expand its pool of public health experts by identifying volunteers to serve in 3 capacities: as Associate Editors and as members of its Editorial Board and Statistics Review Committee. A brief description of each volunteer’s role and responsibilities follows. Appointments range from 2 to 3 years. If you would like to volunteer, please submit a current resume to the Editor in Chief at pcdeditor@cdc.gov. Please identify only one volunteer group on which to serve. Resumes are due no later than Monday, March 27, 2023. Notices of selection will be announced on or before Monday, April 17, 2023.

Please visit our website for additional information on the journal.

Associate Editors

At PCD, each manuscript determined to be appropriate for peer review undergoes a rigorous review by one of our Associate Editors. These volunteers are independent public health experts who bring a wealth of training, experience, and expertise to the journal. They select manuscripts on the basis of their alignment with the journal’s vision and mission and their scientific and programmatic contributions to advancing the field of chronic disease prevention and control.

Editorial Board

PCD’s Editorial Board consists of a diverse group of independent leaders and experts with experience in various areas of public health research, evaluation, and practice. Board members advise the journal on its policies and identify appropriate and timely topics for publication. They may also serve as peer reviewers and as judges for the journal’s annual Student Paper Contest. In addition, the Editorial Board assists with identifying ways to disseminate the journal’s content throughout the world.

Statistics Review Committee

The goal of the Statistics Review Committee is to advance understanding and dissemination of statistical methods and testing in the public health field and to help practitioners apply statistical knowledge in controlling chronic disease and improving health across the life span. Committee members have training and expertise in statistics and biostatistics and assist the journal with assessing peer-reviewed articles to determine the appropriateness of research and evaluation questions, selection of the study sample, statistical tests used, and analysis of data based on research design, distribution of data, and type of variable under examination.

 

10 Most Talked About Articles of 2022

Announcement posted 3/9/23

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) is excited to announce its most popular articles published in 2022 as rated by Altmetric. Thousands of conversations about scholarly content happen online every day. Altmetric tracks a range of sources to capture, collate, and score this activity. To read other articles published in 2022, visit PCD’s Issue Archive.

1. Adults Who Have Never Been Screened for Colorectal Cancer, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2012 and 2020
2. Association of Burden and Prevalence of Arthritis With Disparities in Social Risk Factors, Findings From 17 US States
3. Challenges to Adolescent HPV Vaccination and Implementation of Evidence-Based Interventions to Promote Vaccine Uptake During the COVID-19 Pandemic: “HPV Is Probably Not at the Top of Our List”
4. Health Care Access and Use Among Adults With and Without Vision Impairment: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2018
5. Out of School Time Providers Innovate to Support School-Aged Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic
6. Rapid Evaluations of Telehealth Strategies to Address Hypertension: A Mixed-Methods Exploration at Two US Health Systems During the COVID-19 Pandemic
7. Changes Among Mexican Adults in Physical Activity and Screen Time During the COVID-19 Lockdown Period and Association With Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress, May 29–July 31, 2020
8. Intentions and Attempts to Quit JUUL E-Cigarette Use: The Role of Perceived Harm and Addiction
9. Chronic Disease Management Service Opportunities for Community Pharmacists During the COVID-19 Pandemic
10. Prevalence of Chronic Diseases, Depression, and Stress Among US Childcare Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic

 

Call for Papers: PCD 2023 Student Paper Contest

Announcement posted 10/20/22

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) welcomes submissions from students at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels, recent postgraduates, and medical residents for PCD’s annual Student Paper Contest. PCD is interested in publishing papers relevant to the prevention, screening, surveillance, and population-based intervention of chronic diseases, including but not limited to arthritis, asthma, cancer, depression, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and COVID-19 and chronic conditions. The journal is also interested in research examining the role that social determinants exact on health, including the less explored determinant of racism.

PCD’s 5 primary goals for this publication opportunity are to:

• Provide applicants with an opportunity to become familiar with a journal’s manuscript submission requirements and peer-review process;
• Assist applicants to connect their knowledge and training on conducting quality research with a journal’s publication expectations;
• Develop applicants’ research and scientific writing skills to become producers of knowledge in addition to consumers of knowledge;
• Provide applicants with an opportunity to become first author on a peer-reviewed paper;
• Promote supportive, respectful, and mutually beneficial author―mentor relationships that result in strengthening applicants’ ability to generate and submit future scholarly manuscripts.

Submission Requirements

PCD uses PCD ScholarOne Manuscripts for manuscript submission and tracking. Before submitting your manuscript, please read the instructions below in addition to the information provided on the PCD website under Manuscript Requirements.

Eligibility

• Student applicants must be currently enrolled in a high school, undergraduate, or graduate degree program. Postgraduate applicants must have received their graduate degree within the past 12 months and be participating in a medical residency, postdoctoral fellowship, or similar training program under the supervision of a mentor, advisor, or principal investigator.
• Applicants should meet the standard to serve as first author. The first author is the person who conducted or led the topic being presented and prepared the first draft of the manuscript. The first author must also ensure that all other authors meet the criteria for authorship.
• Applicants and coauthors are expected to demonstrate the highest ethical standards in submitting scholarly work to the journal for consideration. Applicants and coauthors should become familiar with the journal’s Editorial Policy.
• Applicants (not mentors) must serve as the corresponding author for manuscripts submitted in conjunction with the student research collection. No exceptions will be allowed.
• Manuscripts must report on research done while in one of the qualifying student or postgraduate categories listed above.
• The research must have been completed within the last 12 months.
• Manuscripts must not be published previously or submitted elsewhere for publication.
• Manuscripts must represent original research submitted as Original Research or GIS Snapshots article types. Other article types will not be considered. For a detailed explanation, see information on Original Research and GIS Snapshots articles on PCD’s Types of Articles page.
• Students and recent postgraduates must submit a cover letter indicating their interest in being considered for the Student Paper Collection and the name and contact information of their advisor. The cover letter must also indicate current level of academic enrollment: high school, undergraduate, or graduate degree, or applicable postgraduate residency, fellowship, or other training program. In addition, applicants should address all routinely required disclosures in the cover letter. Learn more about general cover letter requirements on PCD’s How to Submit a Manuscript page.
• Applicants must provide a letter of recommendation from their advisor confirming either the student’s enrollment in a degree program or the postgraduate candidate’s residency or fellowship. The advisor must confirm that the research was conducted while in training under the advisor’s supervision. The advisor’s letter must confirm that the applicant conceptualized the analysis and was the primary author of the manuscript. The advisor’s letter must also acknowledge that the advisor recognizes that no one other than the applicant can serve as corresponding author.
• Applicants should submit the cover letter and advisor letter when they submit the manuscript.

Deadline

Manuscripts must be received electronically no later than 5:00 PM EST on Monday, March 27, 2023.

Manuscript Review Process

• Not all manuscripts submitted for consideration will undergo peer review. The Editor in Chief will screen and determine which manuscripts advance to peer review. The decision to advance papers to peer review will be made based on fit, quality, and available human capital to handle submission volume.
• Applicants and advisors must understand that the decision-making process to identify which manuscripts will advance through the various stages of review is a lengthy process. Therefore, applicants and advisors must have patience as the decision-making process moves through review stages.
• An applicant receiving comments and suggestions on a manuscript does not mean the manuscript will be accepted for publication.
• Applicants interested in getting a sense of where manuscripts are in the review process are encouraged to contact the journal. Such inquiries should come directly from the applicant serving as corresponding author.

Winners in each category will receive the following recognition:

• Acknowledgment in the Editor in Chief’s collection editorial
• Special promotion on the journal’s social media platforms
• Accompanying podcast to discuss the paper
• Potential selection as a peer reviewer to determine next year’s winner

Helpful Hints

Please be sure to visit the Author’s Corner section of PCD’s website for important information on what to avoid when developing the manuscript, tables, and figures.  Students and mentors are encouraged to review previous collections of student papers, by visiting the PCD website at CDC – Preventing Chronic Disease: PCD Collections.

 

About the Journal

PCD is a peer-reviewed electronic journal established to provide a forum for researchers and practitioners in chronic disease prevention and health promotion. The journal is published weekly by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

 

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PCD Receives 2021 Journal Impact Factor and Scimago Journal Ranking

Announcement posted 6/29/22

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) received its new 2021 Journal Impact Factor, which assessed citations of PCD articles published in 2018 and 2019. The journal’s Impact Factor increased from 2.803 in 2020 to 4.354 in 2021. This is undoubtedly a result of PCD’s role in rapidly publishing peer-reviewed, science-based articles on a variety of important topics, including the effect of COVID-19 on chronic diseases and conditions.

Additionally, Scimago Journal Rank recently ranked PCD 4th out 30 US journals and 76^th out of 585 journals worldwide in the Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health open access journal category. The journal was also ranked in the top 10% of more than 27,000 journals evaluated by Scimago in 2021.

PCD is influential in disseminating proven and promising peer-reviewed public health findings, innovations, and practices with editorial content respected for its integrity and relevance to chronic disease prevention. During the coming months, PCD anticipates publishing timely and emerging content on global responses to prevent, manage, and control cardiovascular disease; advancing health equity science; combating racism through research, training, practice, and public health policies; sleep deprivation, sleep disorders, and chronic disease; policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes; training resources on how to conduct performance monitoring and program evaluation; and advancing data modernization and data management in public health.

Many thanks to our Editorial Board, Associate Editors, Statistics Review Committee, authors, readers, and PCD Staff who have contributed to the success of PCD.

For the latest in peer-reviewed chronic disease research, visit www.cdc.gov/pcd.

 

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Call for Papers: Advancing Chronic Disease Data Modernization Enhancements to Meet Current and Future Public Health Challenges

Announcement posted 6/28/22

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) welcomes submissions for its upcoming collection, “Advancing Chronic Disease Data Modernization Enhancements to Meet Current and Future Public Health Challenges.” The nation’s health data systems are often antiquated, resulting in a myriad of negative effects on chronic disease prevention and health promotion efforts. In addition, antiquated data management systems often become difficult to support, maintain, scale, or integrate into new platforms. Enhancing the nation’s data systems will require making important changes to ensure skilled individuals are in place, new operational processes are adopted, and appropriate policies are established to facilitate monitoring and evaluation of data modernization action plans. This collection will feature peer-reviewed papers showcasing efforts under way by federal, state, tribal, local, and territorial public health agencies to collect, use, and share data. PCD is interested in publishing papers describing and highlighting data management infrastructure transformations that support response-ready systems capable of meeting current and future health challenges.

For this collection, PCD encourages the submission of manuscripts covering diverse topics using various PCD article types. Please refer to the Types of Articles page on PCD’s website for specifications of each article type. Examples of topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

• Frameworks that guide data modernization changes and position data systems to improve reliability, serviceability, and trustworthiness
• Methodologies used to monitor, evaluate, and report effectiveness of data management systems
• Scientific documentation that tracks progress of continuous improvements and provides accountability
• Identification of key outputs and outcomes (ie, specific metrics) to track and monitor from inception that provide insights into what is working and/or what needs modification
• Strategies to maintain higher quality, more accessible, and more complete health data collection to ensure data is representative of all people
• Improving equity-centered data systems to collect data on social factors that impact health
• Identification of privacy-enhancing technologies that increase public confidence in data governance and reporting
• Protecting privacy-related policies governing the release of public health data
• Strategies to improve timeliness, completeness, and quality of critical data for public health responses
• The application of data modernization on public health efforts to improve chronic disease prevention and control

Submission Guidelines

Although not required, corresponding authors are strongly encouraged to submit an inquiry to the journal in advance of submitting a manuscript to determine suitability. PCD asks that only the corresponding author submit an inquiry to the journal for review. The corresponding author is the person who takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal during the submission, peer-review, and publication process if the paper is accepted. The corresponding author’s inquiry should include the following information:

• Article title
• Name of the corresponding author
• Author name(s), degree(s), title(s), and affiliation(s)
• PCD article type (visit https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/for_authors/types_of_articles.htm)
• Has the article ever been submitted elsewhere for consideration? If yes, please indicate the name of the journal, the date of the final decision, and an explanation of the decision
• Indicate that this inquiry is related to this Call for Papers
• Abstract (300 words or less)

PCD will provide feedback to the corresponding author about the journal’s interest in the proposed manuscript and guidance on what information is needed.

The deadline to receive final manuscripts is February 15, 2023. If accepted, your manuscript will be reviewed and published on a rolling basis. Articles will be assembled into a PDF collection accessible on the PCD website after all accepted papers have been published. Cover letters to the Editor in Chief are required and must state that the submission is for consideration in the PCD collection, Advancing Chronic Disease Data Modernization Enhancements to Meet Current and Future Public Health Challenges

About the Journal
PCD is a peer-reviewed public health journal sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and authored by experts worldwide. PCD was established in 2004 by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion with a mission to promote dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers worldwide on the integration and application of research findings and practical experience to improve population health. For more information about the journal, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/pcd.

 

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Call for Papers: Tools and Techniques to Effectively and Suitably Conduct Program Evaluation

Announcement posted 6/28/22

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) welcomes submissions for its upcoming collection, “Tools and Techniques to Effectively and Suitably Conduct Program Evaluation.” Evaluation is one of the 10 essential public health functions and critical to effective public health practice, especially given its importance in monitoring and measuring the quality, pace, and direction of interventions and/or tracking the progress and impact of implementation. Stakeholders drive evaluations, unlike research, and should therefore be adapted to the contexts (ie, community, organization, or setting) being evaluated and to outcomes of interest. Evaluations should be flexible and adaptable and provide staff and stakeholders with reliable, high-quality information designed to address real-world issues.

Assessing the impact of public health interventions is important for several reasons. Fiscal resources are used to support public health interventions, so it is imperative to determine whether the return on those fiscal investments supports changes in how public health interventions are delivered or whether to discontinue those efforts altogether. It is important to systematically collect information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of programs and initiatives to reduce uncertainties, improve effectiveness, and make the best decisions. Unfortunately, conducting performance monitoring and evaluating multicomponent initiatives in ways that both inform their ongoing development and capture their impact can be a significant challenge.

Multicomponent interventions usually require aligning goals and coordinating actions across initiatives and organizations, which can involve multiple programs at various levels (eg, individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and/or societal). Moreover, they are implemented to address complex problems that may evolve over time such as reducing obesity, increasing healthcare screening, and improving physical, environmental, and systems changes that support healthy living. Unfortunately, many important aspects of evaluation remain an afterthought and are often underfunded, delayed, and understaffed. PCD receives a plethora of manuscripts seeking to present findings from performance monitoring and evaluation efforts. The quality of these submissions varies; some lack appropriate use of evaluation methods and procedures and/or attempt to “retro-evaluate” at the conclusion of programmatic activities, which doesn’t position manuscripts to advance the field of performance monitoring and evaluation. PCD is interested in publishing peer-reviewed papers featuring the journal’s article type, Tools for Public Health Practice. This article type provides instructional content to support professional development and focuses on the “how-to” practical application of public health methods in performance monitoring and program evaluation.

For this collection, PCD encourages the submission of manuscripts covering diverse topics using PCD’s article type, Tools for Public Health Practice. Examples of topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

• Identification of challenges in conducting performance monitoring and tips on how to overcome those challenges
• Adopting the appropriate theory of change to ensure alignment with data collection
• Identifying attributes, skills, and abilities in securing experts to assist with performance monitoring and program evaluation
• Frameworks and/or guides to assist program management with performance monitoring and program evaluation efforts
• Training and development of program staff to increase awareness of what is required to create tailored evaluation plans prior to program implementation
• How to conduct literature searches to develop plans for performance monitoring and program evaluation
• Tools to obtain outputs and outcomes of interest to key stakeholders
• Strategies to increase workforce capacity in performance monitoring and program evaluation
• Requirements necessary to design, implement, and value multisite evaluation
• Development of performance monitoring systems that capture and report data on how well aspects of public health programs are being implemented, including both barriers and enablers to implementation
• How to conduct multisite evaluations under various scenarios:
  • When using common interventions versus differing interventions
  • Generating and reporting findings with measures are standardized, while others are markedly different across sites (ie, some findings examine whether anything worked, while other findings compare the relative effectiveness of programs already shown to be successful)

Submission Guidelines

Although not required, corresponding authors are strongly encouraged to submit an inquiry to the journal in advance of submitting a manuscript to determine suitability. PCD asks that only the corresponding author submit an inquiry to the journal for review. The corresponding author is the person who takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal during the submission, peer-review, and publication process if the paper is accepted. The corresponding author’s inquiry should include the following information:

• Article title
• Name of the corresponding author
• Author name(s), degree(s), title(s), and affiliation(s)
• Has the article ever been submitted elsewhere for consideration? If yes, please indicate the name of the journal, the date of the final decision, and an explanation of the decision
• Indicate that this inquiry is related to this Call for Papers
• Abstract (300 words or less)

PCD will provide feedback to the corresponding author about the journal’s interest in the proposed manuscript and guidance on what information is needed.

The deadline to receive final manuscripts is April 15, 2023. If accepted, your manuscript will be reviewed and published on a rolling basis. Articles will be assembled into a PDF collection accessible on the PCD website after all accepted papers have been published. Cover letters to the Editor in Chief are required and must state that the submission is for consideration in the PCD collection, Tools and Techniques to Effectively and Suitably Conduct Program Evaluation.

About the Journal
PCD is a peer-reviewed public health journal sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and authored by experts worldwide. PCD was established in 2004 by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion with a mission to promote dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers worldwide on the integration and application of research findings and practical experience to improve population health. For more information about the journal, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/pcd.

 

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Call for Papers: Implementing and Sustaining Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Approaches to Support Healthy Behaviors in Diverse Settings

Announcement posted 6/28/22

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) welcomes submissions for its upcoming collection, “Implementing and Sustaining Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Approaches to Support Healthy Behaviors in Diverse Settings.” Over the past decade, there has been increased understanding that health behaviors are not only shaped by individual choices but also influenced heavily by the environments in which they occur. The use of PSE approaches have emerged as a possible avenue to reach populations by implementing a combination of strategies that create supportive conditions for individuals to adopt and sustain healthier behaviors to prevent or manage chronic disease. PSE approaches seek to create settings, environments, and/or conditions that are readily available and easily accessible, thus helping individuals to make healthy choices in schools, communities, worksites, hospitals, restaurants, and beyond. Policy approaches include developing policies at the legislative or organizational level that institutionalize new rules or procedures, such as laws, ordinances, mandates, or regulations. Systems approaches involve changes made to rules, processes, and infrastructure within a given setting. Environmental approaches seek to make changes to physical, social, and economic environments. Key to the use of PSE approaches is the identification and implementation of strategies across all 3 domains to achieve the greatest potential to collectively enhance conditions that improve population health.

For this collection, PCD encourages the submission of manuscripts covering diverse topics using various PCD article types. Please refer to the Types of Articles page on PCD’s website for specifications of each article type.  This collection of papers will focus primarily on the impact (evaluation) of PSE interventions with less focus on papers that are descriptive in nature. For example, papers that focus on implementation and scaling up of novel PSE approaches and their impact on chronic diseases and risk factors will be prioritized. Special consideration will also be given for papers that incorporate principles of health equity.

Examples of topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

• Evaluation of PSE interventions in these 3 domains:

• (1) Policy Change

• Establishing policies for smoke-free zones and public events
• Establishing healthy food options in vending machines in public places
• Requiring use of safety equipment in work settings to avoid injuries
• Changing local zoning ordinances to display produce outdoors
• Changing community park laws to allow fruit trees
• Establishing healthy concession stand policies in local parks or recreation facilities

 

• (2)  Systems Change

• Creating training or certification systems that align with change policies
• Developing plans for implementing new PSE-related interventions
• Developing and implementing screening protocols in healthcare settings to identify food insecurities and make referrals to low-cost or no-cost food sources
• Implementation partnerships with local farmers to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables
• Provision of health insurance discounts, incentives, or rewards for exercising or reaching health goals

 

• (3) Environmental Change

• Installing signage on already established and/or newly established walking and biking routes and grocery store aisles
• Increasing availability of healthy food choices in restaurants or cafeterias
• Incorporating sidewalks or walking paths into community design
• Increasing the number of parks, greenways, and trails in a community

 

• Methods that that can be adopted to evaluate PSE approaches
• Systematic reviews to identify effective PSE approaches
• Barriers and facilitators of implementing PSE approaches
• Implementation and scaling up of PSE approaches
• Cost and cost effectiveness of PSE approaches
• Epidemiology of PSE approaches (ie, papers describing the proportion [prevalence] or changes over time [trends] in PSE approaches)
• Bidirectional impact and relationship between PSE approaches and health equity

 

Submission Guidelines

Although not required, corresponding authors are strongly encouraged to submit an inquiry to the journal in advance of submitting a manuscript to determine suitability. PCD asks that only the corresponding author submit an inquiry to the journal for review. The corresponding author is the person who takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal during the submission, peer-review, and publication process if the paper is accepted. The corresponding author’s inquiry should include the following information:

• Article title
• Name of the corresponding author
• Author name(s), degree(s), title(s), and affiliation(s)
• PCD article type (visit https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/for_authors/types_of_articles.htm)
• Has the article ever been submitted elsewhere for consideration? If yes, please indicate the name of the journal, the date of the final decision, and an explanation of the decision
• Indicate that this inquiry is related to this Call for Papers
• Abstract (300 words or less)

PCD will provide feedback to the corresponding author about the journal’s interest in the proposed manuscript and guidance on what information is needed.

 The deadline to receive final manuscripts is June 30, 2023. If accepted, your manuscript will be reviewed and published on a rolling basis. Articles will be assembled into a PDF collection accessible on the PCD website after all accepted papers have been published. Cover letters to the Editor in Chief are required and must state that the submission is for consideration in the PCD collection, Implementing and Sustaining Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Changes to Support Healthy Behaviors in Diverse Settings.

About the Journal
PCD is a peer-reviewed public health journal sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and authored by experts worldwide. PCD was established in 2004 by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion with a mission to promote dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers worldwide on the integration and application of research findings and practical experience to improve population health. For more information about the journal, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/pcd.

 

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Top 10 Most Talked About Articles of 2021

Announcement posted 1/4/22

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) is excited to announce its most popular articles of 2021 as rated by Altmetric. Thousands of conversations about scholarly content happen online every day. Altmetric tracks a range of sources to capture, collate, and score this activity.

1. Underlying Medical Conditions and Severe Illness Among 540,667 Adults Hospitalized With COVID-19, March 2020–March 2021
2. Needs and Preferences Among Food Pantry Clients
3. Retail Marketing of Menthol Cigarettes in Los Angeles, California: A Challenge to Health Equity
4. Disparities in Internet Access and COVID-19 Vaccination in New York City
5. COVID-19 Disparities Among Marshallese Pacific Islanders
6. Health-Related Behaviors and Odds of COVID-19 Hospitalization in a Military Population
7. COVID-19 and Chronic Disease: The Impact Now and in the Future
8. Effect of Inadequate Sleep on Frequent Mental Distress
9. Cancer Incidence Projections in the United States Between 2015 and 2050
10. New SNAP Eligibility in California Associated With Improved Food Security and Health

 

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PCD Names Guest Editorial Board for Upcoming Collection: “Public Health, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Pharmacy: Combating Racism Through Research, Training, Practice, and Public Health Policies”

Announcement posted 12/13/21

PCD is pleased to announce the selection of a Guest Editorial Board for its upcoming collection, “Public Health, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Pharmacy: Combating Racism Through Research, Training, Practice, and Public Health Policies.”

In April 2021, CDC declared racism as a public health threat, identifying it as one of the fundamental drivers of health inequities. Racism is detrimental to health, a root cause of health inequalities, and a major source of stress across the lifespan. It has created and sustained reciprocal factors that contribute to health inequities, and it remains a worldwide public health challenge requiring open discussion. In recognition of the many ongoing efforts in public health to address these challenges, PCD is publishing a collection of peer-reviewed articles offering insight into the roles of public health, medicine, and policy to combat all forms of racism through research, training, practice, and public health policies.

For this important collection, PCD has for the first time assembled a Guest Editorial Board, in recognition of the multifaceted and complex factors that contribute to racism. The journal has brought together distinguished individuals from across the US with experience and expertise in addressing racism, representing epidemiology, clinical practice, health communications, community and health department collaborations, public health policy, and more.

Inquiries to PCD for this collection are due April 30, 2022, and final manuscripts are due October 31, 2022. For more information and submission requirements, see the Call for Papers below.

 

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Call for Papers: “Public Health, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Pharmacy: Combating Racism Through Research, Training, Practice, and Public Health Policies”

Announcement posted 10/07/21

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) welcomes submissions for its upcoming collection, “Public Health, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Pharmacy: Combating Racism Through Research, Training, Practice, and Public Health Policies.” In April 2021, CDC declared racism as a public health threat, identifying it as one of the fundamental drivers of health inequities. A plethora of US cities and counties have similarly declared racism as a public health issue. The American Medical Association recognizes that racism, in its systemic, cultural, interpersonal, and other forms, is a serious threat to public health, the advancement of health equity, and a barrier to appropriate medical care.

Over the past decades, there has been a need to expand research and implement multicomponent ways to ameliorate the persistence of racial inequities beyond traditionally explored socioeconomic factors. Race is primarily a social construct, based on nationality, ethnicity, or other markers of social difference. Racism differs from race in that it operates as an organized system in which one racial group uses its power to devalue, disempower, and deprive other groups they deem inferior of valued societal resources and opportunities. Racism, in various forms, occurs in different settings (eg, health care systems, labor, criminal justice, education, housing, communities). Racism is detrimental to health, a root cause of health inequalities, and a major source of stress across the lifespan. It has created and sustained reciprocal factors that contribute to health inequities, and it remains a worldwide public health challenge requiring open discussion. PCD is interested in publishing peer-reviewed papers offering insights into the roles of public health, medicine, and policy to combat all forms of racism through research, training, practice, and public health policies.

For this collection, PCD encourages the submission of manuscripts covering any topic related to racism or public health inequities. Please refer to the Types of Articles page on PCD’s website for specifications of each article type. Examples of topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Racism and disease risk among diverse populations and patients
• Physical and mental effects of racism on health
• The link between sustainable development goals and structural systemic forces related to racism
• Multiple pathways of racial residential segregation and their effect on racial health disparities
• Methodologic approaches to measuring racism across the lifespan
• Data sources (existing and proposed) to explore all forms of racism
• Analytic measurement challenges to understanding and mediating effects that contribute to observed patterns of racism over time at multiple levels of analysis
• Protective factors against racism across the lifespan
• The impact of internalized racism on health: how to measure it beyond the individual level to the cumulative impact of individual, cultural, and structural forms of racism
• Patients and/or community members talking about their experiences with racism and suggestions on how to change and improve collaborations and partnerships
• The differential effects of institutional racism on policies, practices, and laws and how they affect members of certain racial groups and those groups as a whole
• Institutional, organizational, or community policies and changes implemented to address institutional and/or systemic racism
• Examples of how public health, medicine, and public policy simultaneously collaborate to combat racism
• Exploration of the impact of racism on communities and the role of advocacy as part of the solution
• Local and state health departments working collaboratively with diverse communities to address all forms of racism
• The art and science of developing, implementing, and evaluating public health communication campaigns that consider aspects of setting, life experiences, and organizational change to address anti-racism structures
• Use of community-based participatory research to facilitate actions, awareness, and improvements outside of academia and into the community
• Interventions (beyond competency training) that impact health care providers and lead to improvement in patient outcomes
• Systematic racism and its impact on maternal health
• Systematic racism, chronic disease inequities, and COVID-19
• Impact of racism and racial discrimination on psychological, mental, and emotional health
• The identification of clearly enumerated competencies to build anti-racism awareness and capacity among health professionals
• Anti-racism, pedagogy, public health education, and/or medical and dental education
• Reliable tools and resources used to develop training curricula, training academies, and other learning opportunities that address racism
• Evaluation approaches to assess effectiveness of training to build competencies and identify what has changed because of the training

Submission Guidelines

Although not required, corresponding authors are strongly encouraged to submit an inquiry to the journal in advance of submitting a manuscript to determine suitability. PCD asks that only the corresponding author submit an inquiry to the journal for review. The corresponding author is the person who takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal during the submission, peer-review, and publication process if the paper is accepted. The corresponding author’s inquiry should include the following information:

• Article title
• Name of the corresponding author
• Author name(s), degree(s), title(s), and affiliation(s)
• PCD article type (visit https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/for_authors/types_of_articles.htm)
• Has the article ever been submitted elsewhere for consideration? If yes, please indicate the name of the journal, the date of the final decision, and an explanation of the decision
• Indicate that the inquiry is related to this Call for Papers
• Abstract (300 words or less)

Submit inquiries to the Editor in Chief at PCDeditor@cdc.gov for consideration. PCD will provide feedback to the corresponding author about the journal’s interest in the proposed manuscript and guidance on what information is needed.

The deadline to receive final manuscripts is October 31, 2022. If accepted, your manuscript will be reviewed and published on a rolling basis. Articles will be assembled into a PDF collection accessible on the PCD website after all accepted papers have been published. Cover letters to the Editor in Chief are required and must state that the submission is for consideration in the PCD collection, Public Health, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Pharmacy: Combating Racism Through Research, Training, Practice, and Public Health Policies.

About the Journal

PCD is a peer-reviewed public health journal published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and authored by experts worldwide. PCD was established in 2004 by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion with a mission to promote dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers worldwide on the integration and application of research findings and practical experience to improve population health. For more information about the journal, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/pcd.

 

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Call for Papers: “Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Disorders, and Chronic Disease”

Announcement posted 9/23/21

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) welcomes submissions for its upcoming collection, “Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Disorders, and Chronic Disease.” Sleep is an essential daily behavior that supports physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Nearly every system of the body depends on satisfactory sleep quality and quantity for routine healing, repair, and restoration. Factors that negatively affect health include sleep deprivation, poor sleep routines, and negative life events, as well as sleep disorders (eg, restless legs syndrome and insomnia). In addition, particularly short sleep duration may be associated with chronic diseases. Research shows that insufficient sleep is linked to an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes, and sleep duration and sleep quality have emerged as predictors of hemoglobin A1c level, a key marker of blood sugar control. Hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, and irregular heartbeat are more common among those with disordered sleep than those without sleep abnormalities. The link between psychological health and sleep has received attention as well; depressive symptoms can decrease when sleep apnea is effectively treated and sufficient sleep is restored. In addition, emerging studies are showing how the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in daily routines, mental health, and an increase among the general population in the prevalence of sleep disturbances during periods of quarantine.

PCD is interested in publishing papers from around the world that bring increased attention to the relationship between sleep and chronic disease and offer insight into successes and challenges of public health strategies to improve the quality of sleep. For this collection, PCD encourages the submission of manuscripts covering diverse topics using various PCD article types. Please refer to the Types of Articles page on PCD’s website for specifications of each article type. Examples of topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Prevalence of healthy and unhealthy sleep duration among children, adolescents, adults, and older adults
• Latest research on causes, symptoms, and treatment of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders
• Differences in the amount, frequency, time, efficiency, and quality of sleep among racial and ethnic groups
• Research on the link between insufficient sleep and an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes
• Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep quality among the general population
• Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep quality among racial and ethnic groups
• Effects of social determinants (eg, job stress, neighborhood characteristics, education) on sleep quality and overall health
• The influence of discrimination and racism to racial and ethnic disparities on sleep quality
• The influence of alcohol consumption on sleep, including strategies to intervene on chronic drinking to improve sleep quality
• Effects of TV, internet, and other screen time on quality of life among children, adolescents, and adults
• Research exploring ways to optimize sleep duration and quality to improve blood sugar control in those with type 2 diabetes
• The link between hypertension, stroke, and coronary disease and disordered sleep
• Innovative interventions to reduce TV, internet, and other screen time among children, adolescents, and adults
• The relationship between psychological health, sleep deprivation, and sleep disorders
• Psychologically informed behavior-change approaches that contribute to improved sleep quality and improved chronic disease management
• Practical “how-to” tips based on the latest research on ways to improve sleep quality
• Public health awareness campaigns that promote good sleep hygiene, including behaviors that ensure sufficient, high-quality sleep
• Multilevel approaches for addressing disparities in sleep health, such as individual-level behavioral recommendations and health promotion interventions at multiple contextual levels (eg, family, schools, workplaces, media, and policy) among those diagnosed with chronic disease
• Clinical and population-based approaches to promote sleep health among children, adolescents, adults, and older adults
• The do’s and don’ts of healthy napping among children, adolescents, adults, and older adults
• Clinical, translational, and population-based research in pediatric sleep medicine

Submission Guidelines

Although not required, corresponding authors are strongly encouraged to submit an inquiry to the journal in advance of submitting a manuscript to determine suitability. PCD asks that only the corresponding author submit inquiries to the journal for review. The corresponding author is the person who takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal during the submission, peer-review, and publication process if the paper is accepted. The corresponding author’s inquiry should include the following information:

• Article title
• Name of the corresponding author
• Author name(s), degree(s), title(s), and affiliation(s)
• PCD article type (visit https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/for_authors/types_of_articles.htm)
• Has the article ever been submitted elsewhere for consideration? If yes, please indicate the name of the journal, the date of the final decision, and an explanation of the decision
• Indicate that this inquiry is related to this Call for Papers
• Abstract (300 words or less)

PCD will provide feedback to the corresponding author about the journal’s interest in the proposed manuscript and guidance on what information is needed.

The deadline to receive your final manuscript is December 15, 2022. If accepted, your manuscript will be reviewed and published on a rolling basis. Articles will be assembled into a PDF collection accessible on the PCD website after all accepted papers have been published. Cover letters to the Editor in Chief are required and must state that the submission is for consideration in the PCD collection Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Disorders, and Chronic Disease.

About the Journal

PCD is a peer-reviewed public health journal sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and authored by experts worldwide. PCD was established in 2004 by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion with a mission to promote dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers worldwide on the integration and application of research findings and practical experience to improve population health. For more information about the journal, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/pcd.

 

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Call for Papers: “Global Responses to Prevent, Manage, and Control Cardiovascular Disease”

Announcement posted 9/14/21

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) welcomes submissions for its upcoming collection, “Global Responses to Prevent, Manage, and Control Cardiovascular Disease.” Heart disease and strokes continue to be leading causes of death and major disability worldwide despite the recent impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past several years, efforts have increased to implement timely intervention programs in multiple settings, across all age groups, in the general population and among high-risk groups to achieve population-level improvements in cardiovascular health. Efforts have also been made to enhance data sources and data collection systems to monitor key indicators related to heart disease and stroke prevention. PCD is interested in publishing papers from around the world that offer insight into successes and challenges of public health strategies to improve cardiovascular health through prevention, detection, and treatment.

For this collection, PCD encourages the submission of manuscripts covering diverse topics using various PCD article types. Please refer to the Types of Articles page on PCD’s website for the specifications of each article type. Examples of topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

• Factors contributing to the decline or increase in heart disease risk
• Drivers of racial and ethnic minority population disparities in cardiovascular health
• Cardiovascular disease risk reduction programs in urban, rural, clinical, and/or community settings
• Neighborhood-level segregation and its impact on cardiovascular disease risk and health status
• Health equity approaches to reducing coronary heart disease and strokes among diverse populations
• Health systems approaches to helping patients maintain their routine care, treatment, and access to medical care
• Hospital and community collaborations to reduce cardiovascular disease risk
• Timely appraisal and synthesis of primary research papers by using a rigorous and clearly documented methodology (eg, systematic reviews or scoping reviews)
• Geographic variations in the costs of heart disease
• Geographic disparities in declining rates of heart disease mortality
• Link between sleep and heart disease
• Relationship between cardiovascular health, COVID-19, and gender
• Relationship between racism, cardiovascular health, and other health outcomes
• COVID-19 vaccination among adults with heart disease
• Influence of lifestyle practices on cardiometabolic disease and subsequent cardiometabolic multimorbidity
• Relationship between coronary heart disease and mental health
• Culturally appropriate health communication campaigns to improve prevention, detection, and treatment of cardiovascular health
• Lessons learned from state, local, and tribal heart disease and stroke programs

Submission Guidelines

Although not required, corresponding authors are strongly encouraged to submit an inquiry to the journal in advance of submitting a manuscript to determine suitability. PCD asks that only the corresponding author submit inquiries to the journal for review. The corresponding author is the person who takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal during the submission, peer-review, and publication process if the paper is accepted. The corresponding author’s inquiry should include the following information:

• Article title
• Name of the corresponding author
• Author name(s), degree(s), title(s), and affiliation(s)
• PCD article type (visit https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/for_authors/types_of_articles.htm)
• Has the article ever been submitted elsewhere for consideration? If yes, please indicate the name of the journal, the date of the final decision, and an explanation of the decision
• Indicate that this inquiry is related to this Call for Papers
• Abstract (300 words or less)

PCD will provide feedback to the corresponding author about the journal’s interest in the proposed manuscript and guidance on what information is needed.

The deadline to receive your final manuscript is July 15, 2022. If accepted, your manuscript will be reviewed and published on a rolling basis. Articles will be assembled into a PDF collection accessible on the PCD website after all accepted papers have been published. Cover letters to the Editor in Chief are required and must state that the submission is for consideration in the PCD collection Global Responses to Prevent, Manage, and Control Cardiovascular Disease.

About the Journal

PCD is a peer-reviewed public health journal sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and authored by experts worldwide. PCD was established in 2004 by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion with a mission to promote dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers worldwide on the integration and application of research findings and practical experience to improve population health. For more information about the journal, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/pcd.

 

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Call for Papers: “Health Equity in Action: Research, Policy, and Practice”

Announcement posted 9/10/21

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) welcomes submissions for its upcoming collection, “Health Equity in Action: Research, Practice, and Policy.” Advancing health equity and eliminating health disparities have been and continue to be critical areas of great interest to PCD. Healthy People 2020 defines health equity as the attainment of the highest level of health for people: “Achieving health equity requires valuing everyone equally with focused and ongoing societal efforts to address avoidable inequities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and health care disparities.”

Despite the wealth of frameworks on social determinants of health (SDOH), 2 current limitations are 1) the superficial description of factors that affect health and 2) a lack of focus on measuring health equity. Equitable implementation requires public health professionals to assess our work in terms of social justice and pursue fair, restorative, and equitable outcomes. In light of this inquiry, we propose that if we are to truly engage in equity work, all interventions and accompanying implementation strategies must address SDOH — the broad range of social, economic, political, and psychosocial factors that directly or indirectly shape health outcomes and contribute to health disparities. Health is not just the absence of disease but also the presence of resources and supports that people need to thrive.

PCD encourages the submission of manuscripts on diverse topics. Illustrative examples are included below. Please refer to the Types of Articles page on PCD’s website for the specifications of each article type. PCD is interested in learning where, when, and how to effectively intervene to improve health equity. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• Advancing health equity and health disparities: similarities, differences, and rationale for next steps
• Integrating health equity in all policies
• Conducting early studies of interventions to improve health equity
• Identifying potential health interventions to improve health equity in diverse populations and settings
• Integrating health equity in program design, implementation, and evaluation
• Engaging community stakeholders to advance health equity
• Developing communication approaches and strategies to convey meaning and importance of health equity science, practice, and policy
• Developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies to improve health literacy
• Understanding the intersectionality of structural racism and other social determinants of health
• Discussing healthcare systems policies combined with approaches that target at-risk populations to address health equity
• Integrating a health equity lens into Health Plans
• Building knowledge, skills, and abilities regarding health equity science and practice among public health and nonpublic health workforce
• Identifying strategies on avoiding silos in the pursuit of advancing health equity approaches
• Identifying health equity measurement and metrics challenges and opportunities
• Modernizing public health data infrastructure to improve health equity
• Assessing tools and techniques on practical ways to measure health equity
• Engaging partners and relevant sectors both inside and outside of public health to advance health equity

Submission Guidelines

Although not required, corresponding authors are strongly encouraged to submit an inquiry to the journal in advance of submitting a manuscript to determine suitability. PCD asks that only the corresponding author submit inquiries to the journal for review. The corresponding author is the person who takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal during the submission, peer-review, and publication process if the paper is accepted. The corresponding author’s inquiry should include the following information:

• Article title
• Name of the corresponding author
• Author name(s), degree(s), title(s), and affiliation(s)
• PCD article type (visit https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/for_authors/types_of_articles.htm)
• Has the article ever been submitted elsewhere for consideration? If yes, please indicate the name of the journal, the date of the final decision, and an explanation of the decision
• Indicate that this inquiry is related to this Call for Papers
• Abstract (300 words or less)

PCD will provide feedback to the corresponding author about the journal’s interest in the proposed manuscript and guidance on what information is needed.

The deadline to receive your final manuscript is September 15, 2022. If accepted, your manuscript will be reviewed and published on a rolling basis. Articles will be assembled into a PDF collection accessible on the PCD website after all accepted papers have been published. Cover letters to the Editor in Chief are required and must state that the submission is for consideration in the PCD collection: Health Equity in Action: Research, Policy, and Practice.

About the Journal

PCD is a peer-reviewed public health journal sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and authored by experts worldwide. PCD was established in 2004 by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion with a mission to promote dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers worldwide on the integration and application of research findings and practical experience to improve population health. For more information about the journal, please visit www.cdc.gov/pcd.

 

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PCD Releases Collection on Health Equity and Health Disparities and PCD Position Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Announcement posted 8/13/21

PCD has released the collection “Advancing Health Equity, Eliminating Health Disparities, and Improving Population Health” as part of its ongoing efforts to acknowledge, examine, and report on less-explored factors such as social determinants of health, including forms of racism that have resulted in the generational injustices.

Articles appearing in this collection include 10 papers submitted in response to PCD’s call for papers for the collection and 7 articles previously published in the journal. All 17 of these articles underwent the journal’s rigorous peer-review process. In addition, this collection features a position statement on the journal’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in its scientific leadership, publications, and communication.

Since PCD’s establishment in 2004, its mission has been to promote dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers worldwide on the integration and application of research findings and practical experience to address health disparities, advance health equity, and improve population health. To be the most successful in this mission requires that PCD adapt to a changing vocabulary and embrace areas of scientific exploration to include not only familiar terms and constructs such as race and ethnicity, health disparities, health inequities, social economic position, and social determinants of health but also all forms of racism, including structural and institutional racism. PCD is well positioned to address chronic disease prevention and health promotion within this changing landscape. This collection, including PCD’s position statement, demonstrates some of the intentional steps the journal has taken to bring attention to these issues.

 

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