Journal profile · Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
ISSN 0749-3797 · eISSN 1873-2607 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1985
American Journal of Preventive Medicine: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 4.62; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,300; median 162 days to acceptance (106 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 25%; 387 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
American Journal of Preventive Medicine is published by Elsevier Inc. and is in Zone 2 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet, Smoking Behavior and Cessation and Physical Activity and Health, together about 27.8% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The American Journal of Preventive Medicine is the official journal of the American College of Preventive Medicine and the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research. It publishes articles in the areas of prevention research, teaching, practice and policy. Original research is published on interventions aimed at the prevention of chronic and acute disease and the promotion of individual and community health.Of particular emphasis are papers that address the primary and secondary prevention of important clinical, behavioral and public health issues such as injury and violence, infectious disease, women's health, smoking, sedentary behaviors and physical activity, nutrition, diabetes, obesity, and substance use disorders. Papers also address educational initiatives aimed at improving the ability of health professionals to provide effective clinical prevention and public health services. Papers on health services research pertinent to prevention and public health are also published. The journal also publishes official policy statements from the two co-sponsoring organizations, review articles, media reviews, and editorials. Finally, the journal periodically publishes supplements and special theme issues devoted to areas of current interest to the prevention community.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Editor-in-chief Matthew L. BoultonPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 21, India 3 (24 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Obesity, Physical Activity, DietMedicine11.4%
- Smoking Behavior and CessationMedicine10.1%
- Physical Activity and HealthMedicine6.3%
- Substance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesMedicine5.2%
- Public Health Policies and EducationHealth Professions5%
- Food Security and Health in Diverse PopulationsHealth Professions4.7%
- Global Cancer Incidence and ScreeningMedicine4.6%
- Health disparities and outcomesSocial Sciences4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Medicine, General & Internal | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Medicine, General & Internal | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Medicine, General & Internal | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 4.62LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.98LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.66LetPub ·
- h-index
- 193LetPub ·
- h-index
- 319OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 6,178OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.21OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 19.27%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 256LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 10,237 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 254 | 145 | 77 |
| 2025 | 387 | 190 | 977 |
| 2024 | 276 | 182 | 1,889 |
| 2023 | 340 | 256 | 4,179 |
| 2022 | 342 | 237 | 6,119 |
| 2021 | 399 | 263 | 9,033 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
162 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 117 days – 196 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 6 days (104 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 175 days
- Sample
- 106 articles with submission and acceptance dates (686 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 2 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 25%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 57 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 152 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,300 / EUR 3,090 / GBP 2,640 / JPY 409,300 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,360 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- AMA
- Highlights
- Optional
Article types accepted10, with length limits
- current issuesCurrent Issues Are scholarly but not exhaustive reviews of any current issue or controversy of interest to AJPM readers.Length not stated
- letters to the editorOffer timely and succinct opinions or interpretations of articles previously published in AJPM. Letters to the Editor do not undergo external peer review, altho…main text ≤ 500 words
- research articlesResearch Articles Original empirical articles including reports of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs, see below for more details), observational studies, and o…Length not stated
- research briefsResearch Briefs Short reports of original empirical articles or evaluations.Length not stated
- research lettersResearch Letters Provide a brief and timely report of outstanding original research (e.g., the result of a pilot study) and should include: introduction, method…Length not stated
- research methodsResearch Methods Detail novel and/or innovative methodologies or techniques used to answer specific research questions or to change specific health outcomes.Length not stated
- review articleSystematic reviews and meta-analyses that are thorough, critical assessments of the literature and data sources pertaining to clinical topics. Review articles e…main text ≤ 300 words · abstract ≤ 300 words
- review articlesReview Articles Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that are thorough, critical assessments of the literature and data sources pertaining to clinical topics.Length not stated
- systematic reviewIt is mandatory for all systematic reviews and meta-analyses to follow PRISMA 2020 (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelin…Length not stated
- topics in educationTopics in Education Highlight innovative and useful approaches to preventive medicine education and evaluation of educational methods, either at the undergradua…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Follow Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process. Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed. Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Reporting Guidelines
AJPM joins other major medical journals in adhering to the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) Network guidelines. The following are specific EQUATOR guidelines and recommendations by study design type which can be found on their individual pages linked from EQUATOR guidelines.Please note that for all reporting checklists, the checklist is not considered a table, bu…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1985
- ISSN
- 0749-3797
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-2607
- Society / sponsor
- American College of Preventive Medicine and the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about American Journal of Preventive Medicine
What CAS zone is American Journal of Preventive Medicine in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, American Journal of Preventive Medicine is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Public, Environmental & Occupational Health / Medicine, General & Internal; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of American Journal of Preventive Medicine?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.62; CiteScore 8, h-index 319.
How long does peer review take at American Journal of Preventive Medicine?
Based on the dates recorded on 106 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 162 days (interquartile range 117–196 days); authors report an average review time of about 2 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 25%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of American Journal of Preventive Medicine?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: AMA; Highlights: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of American Journal of Preventive Medicine based?
Of the 24 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (21) and India (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index American Journal of Preventive Medicine?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, American Journal of Preventive Medicine is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Is American Journal of Preventive Medicine open access, and what is the APC?
American Journal of Preventive Medicine is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,300.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .