JHEAL (ISSN: 2766-4651) is an online, open-access, triannual, peer-reviewed journal focused on publishing high-quality studies in the areas of active living and healthy eating.  Of particular interest are studies of the interactional nature between active living and/or healthy eating and the “environment”, broadly defined as social, cultural, economic, political, natural, virtual, and built dimensions. Papers that report on multi-level studies and interventions are also welcome.  We publish full-length reports, brief communications, meta-analyses, scoping reviews, translational and practice-based research, policy and systems change evaluations, natural experiment studies, case studies, notes from the field, commentaries, and systematic reviews. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies are all encouraged.  Because we value the application of research, we invite submissions from researchers as well as practice- and policy-oriented submissions from practitioners, policymakers, and advocates. Research and practice/policy papers will have separately-labeled sections, and reviewers with appropriate expertise will be selected.  We are also open to publishing digital media files including maps, visualizations, and other modern media.  Please contact the digital media editor before submitting one of these types of formats.  Please consult the Instructions to Authors before submitting your article.

Primary Audience

The audience for this journal includes a broad array of disciplines, including public health, transportation, urban planning, parks and recreation, tourism, forestry, psychology, sociology, nutrition, agriculture, food marketing, political science, economics, and many others.  The journal is intended to address not only researchers but policymakers and practitioners as well.

Preservation

JHEAL participated in the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) to digitally preserve OJS journals. The LOCKSS program offers decentralized and distributed preservation, seamless perpetual access, and preservation of the authentic original version of the content. 

Abstracting and Indexing

PubMed Central, Google Scholar, PKP Index

Open Access

All articles published in the journal are open access under the Creative Commons Attributional-Non-Commercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).  The authors will retain the copyright of all articles published in the journal. The journal will be granted a right to publish from the authors upon acceptance of their manuscript. Authors are permitted to deposit all versions of their paper in an institutional or subject repository.

 

Ethical Guidelines

 JHEAL adheres to the COPE Core Practices regarding ethical guidelines for publication.

1. Allegations of Misconduct. Any allegations of scientific misconduct should be immediately brought to the attention of the Editor-in-Chief, and those allegations will be addressed according to COPE standards.
2. Authorship. Listed authors on a manuscript should have made significant contributions to justify their inclusion according to guidelines established by the APA Manual of Style, 7th Edition, including significant roles in study design, data analysis, study implementation, interpretation of results, and paper write-up. Authorship roles should be able to be justified if asked by reviewers or editorial staff. Any concerns about authorship will be addressed according to COPE standards.
3. Complaints or Appeals. Any complaints or concerns about any aspect of the publication process should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief.
4. Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement. Preventing and addressing real or potential conflicts of interest are essential to assuring confidence in study results and are taken very seriously by the editorial staff and reviewers alike. COPE guidelines are followed.
5. Data and Reproducibility. All studies that report data from a clinical trial must indicate whether or not they have preregistered their study (eg, clinicaltrials.gov). If so, trial number should be included in the paper. It is strongly recommended that all clinical trials be registered.

6. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI).  GAI may be used in for language refinement, grammar, spelling, and readability. GAI may be used for background literature search; however, all citations must be confirmed by the authors.  The use of GAI for writing or image creation is prohibited.  GAI may not be used in peer review.

7.  Retractions (Withdrawal of Publication)

   Articles may be formally retracted in cases of severe ethical misconduct or major errors that invalidate the entire study's findings or conclusions. Grounds for retraction include, but are not limited to:

   1. Clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, either due to major error (honest or otherwise).
   2. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data or results.
   3. Unattributed plagiarism or redundant publication without proper disclosure.
   4. Serious ethical breaches (e.g., research conducted without necessary ethical approval or informed consent, especially regarding vulnerable populations).

   The decision to issue a retraction will be made by the Editor-in-Chief based on recommendations from the journal’s ethics board, following a thorough investigation in accordance with COPE guidelines. A retraction note, clearly stating the reason, will be published and linked to the retracted article.

8. Ethical Oversight. JHEAL will follow the COPE protocol if there are ethical concerns about a submission, and the following protocols are required for all submissions involving human or animal research. 

Human Subjects or Animal Approval Statement.

Where relevant, include human subjects or animal protection statements indicating institutional review and approval with document number, if possible, or statement of exempt status.

Informed Consent Requirement

Where appropriate and consistent with institutional review board requirements, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), European Union Directive 95/46/EC, and other rules specific to the location of where the research was conducted, include a clear indication that informed consent was obtained from all participants in the research.

Studies Involving Vulnerable Populations (e.g., Children)

Where studies involve participants considered vulnerable (such as children, individuals with cognitive impairments, or prisoners), the journal requires stricter ethical oversight:

1. Institutional Approval: Explicit documentation of approval from the relevant institutional ethics committee must be provided, confirming that the methodology and recruitment process adequately safeguard the rights and welfare of the vulnerable population.
2. Parental/Guardian Consent: For all participants under the age of 18 or those unable to provide legally binding consent, written, informed consent must be obtained from a parent or legal guardian.
3. Child Assent: For children capable of understanding the nature of the study, their voluntary assent must be obtained in addition to parental/guardian consent. The assent process should be developmentally appropriate and documented.
4. Anonymity: Authors must take extreme care to ensure that data presentation and text do not allow for the identification of vulnerable participants.

Journal Disclaimer

The views, opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in a published manuscript appearing in the Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living are strictly those of the author(s). They do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Prof Pubs, LLC. Prof Pubs, LLC takes no responsibility for any content errors or omissions in the published manuscript. Author(s) are responsible for reviewing and approving the final manuscript proof before its publication.  

JHEAL does not accept advertising.