Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition: Critical Review
🧾 Journal Profile
- Title: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition (JHPN)
- Publisher: BMC / Springer Nature
- Open Access: Yes (APC-based model)
- Indexing: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ
- h-index: ~79
- Impact Factor (2023): 2.4
- Estimated IF (2024): ~2.87
- SJR (2024): 0.737
- SNIP (2024): 1.045
- 5-Year IF: 2.7
- Categories: Q1 in Food Science, Q2 in Public Health / Epidemiology (Scopus)
✅ Strengths
- Global multidisciplinary scope: covers public health, nutrition, maternal/child health, emerging diseases.
- Full open access: all articles are freely available.
- Fast editorial processing: 21 days to first decision, ~106 days to acceptance.
- High visibility: over 800,000 downloads/year; strong altmetric impact.
- Alignment with SDGs: >50% of 2024 articles linked to UN Sustainable Development Goals.
❗ Weaknesses
- Moderate impact factor: lower than top-tier journals in nutrition/public health.
- Single-blind peer review: potential for reviewer bias.
- High publication cost: ~$2,790 APC may be a barrier in resource-limited settings.
- Thematic restrictions: no longer accepts Mendelian randomization studies.
- Editorial ambiguity: historically based in Bangladesh, now UK-based via BMC.
📊 Comparison with Peer Journals
| Journal | Est. IF | Access Type | Peer Review Type | General Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JHPN | ~2.87 | Open Access | Single-blind | Global health scope, LMIC-friendly |
| Am. J. Clin. Nutrition | ~7.0 | Subscription | Single-blind | Prestigious, clinical nutrition |
| Crit. Rev. Food Science & Nutr. | ~11 | Subscription | Likely single-blind | High-level reviews in food/nutrition |
| Annual Review of Nutrition | ~12.6 | Subscription | Expert commission | Influential annual thematic reviews |
🎯 Best Suited For
- Research with global health relevance.
- Public health and nutrition topics, especially in LMIC contexts.
- Authors needing open access with relatively fast publication.
🧭 Less Suitable For
- Researchers seeking top-tier citation metrics.
- Studies in genetic epidemiology (e.g. Mendelian randomization).
- Unfunded authors unable to cover APC fees.
✅ Final Verdict
*Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition* is a credible, open-access journal with solid indexing, broad scope, and efficient workflows. While not among the highest-impact venues, it is a strong platform for global health research, especially from underrepresented settings.