The December issue of the Michigan Journal of Public Health includes research on infant birth rates.
Photo by Svetikd, courtesy iStockphoto
“We first decided to completely build a new editorial board because it had been quite a while since we had the journal active.”
— Sarah Nechuta
Academic journals serve as a key platform for researchers to showcase their work. Though the work in major journals often takes the spotlight, more specialized journals play a crucial role.
That is one of the reasons why several APHA-affiliated state and regional public health associations publish their own journals, showcasing important public health issues in their state. After a four-year hiatus, the Michigan Journal of Public Health, published by the Michigan Public Health Association, is back in production to do just that.
“So many different issues, big, broad issues in our state are covered in this issue,” Sarah Nechuta, PhD, MPH, APHA member and journal editor, told The Nation’s Health.
Association journals can be an essential resource for public health practitioners and policymakers to gain insights on issues impacting their state’s health. APHA-affiliated public health associations in Georgia, Louisiana and Texas also publish their own journals.
In Michigan, critical health issues affecting residents include cardiovascular disease, with heart disease the leading cause of death in the state, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. But significant disparities exist, as people with a high school diploma or less have nearly double the rate of heart disease compared to those with a college degree.
The December issue of the Michigan association journal includes an article that identifies social determinants of health contributing to higher heart disease rates in Detroit, racial disparities linked to low birthweight in Flint, Michigan, and low HPV vaccination rates in Genesee County, along with potential interventions.
The Michigan journal was first launched in 2007 and published 13 issues until 2020 when it was put on pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, association members started talking about bringing it back.
“I’d been looking for opportunities to play a role in promoting high quality, ethical, best-practice public health science,” Nechuta said. “This was an opportunity to do that for Michigan.”
It took over a year and a half to rebuild the online-only journal, Nechuta said.
“We first decided to completely build a new editorial board because it had been quite a while since we had the journal active,” she said.
The editorial board, a cornerstone of any academic journal, determines which topics are most relevant to readers and selects the articles best representative of a journal’s mission and values.
Through outreach across the state and at public health events, MJPH organized a seven-member board, representing a wide range of expertise, including epidemiology, nursing, policy and veterinary medicine.
The journal also drew on past lessons to develop a more streamlined manuscript checklist for researchers submitting their work. The updated checklist now includes abstract requirements, outline guidance, word counts and other submission guidelines in a single document. Michigan health is the focus.
MJPH is available online and is open access for all to read. Researchers can submit their work without a submission or publication fee, which helps eliminate potential cost barriers, Nechuta said.
“We chose to make this open access because this journal fits into one of the missions of the Michigan Public Health Association, which is to provide educational opportunities and promote and disseminate public health science.”
The journal aims to double its content in upcoming issues and provide educational opportunities for early-career colleagues.
For more information, visit https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mjph.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
