Year in review 2017 : Preventing chronic disease :

This past year was one of the most important in PCD\u2019s history. In 2017 the journal conducted the rst comprehensive evaluation of PCD since its inception in 2004, taking stock of progress to date and establishing a concrete, measurable action plan for moving forward with the assistance of experts both inside and outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).To improve the breadth and depth of PCD\u2019s scienti c expertise, we assembled an impressive group of researchers and practitioners capable of recommending appropriate, high-quality manuscripts for publication. PCD appointed 16 new associate editors with experience in population health, health systems, implementation evaluation, geographic information systems, health economics, behavioral health, and applied epidemiology. These experts assist the journal in providing relevant and useful feedback to authors, reducing manuscript review time, and improving the quality of manuscripts.The journal also published 2 important collections that describe research not previously published in indexed scienti c literature. The rst collection, \u201cState and Local Public Health Actions to Prevent and Control Chronic Diseases,\u201d recognizes that chronic diseases often occur simultaneously and result from interrelated risk factors. This collection showcases how 4 programs at CDC \u2014 diabetes; heart disease and stroke prevention; nutrition, physical activity, and obesity; and school health \u2014 can work together to address state and local e orts to improve health outcomes. The second collection, \u201cThe Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (CORD) Project: Real-World Implementation of Multisetting Interventions to Address Childhood Obesity,\u201d focuses on real-world implementation of evidence-based interventions in multiple settings with the goal of improving healthy eating and increasing physical activity among low-income children.In addition to promoting article collections, PCD developed a new article type, Implementation Evaluation, which provides readers with information on how public health programs and interventions are developed and evaluated on the basis of diverse factors in real-world settings. Implementation Evaluation articles offer an opportunity for authors to present results from tailored, setting-speci c evaluation methods and approaches.PCD also remained committed to providing opportunities for young researchers to contribute to public health and develop critical writing and reviewing skills through its Student Research Paper Contest. This past year the contest was expanded to include 4 categories of winners: high school, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral. PCD received a record 72 contest entries for the 2017 contest.And nally, after 13 years of progress, PCD conducted its rst-ever external review to identify ways for the journal to continue to enhance its usefulness for its audience of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. A panel of 7 nationally recognized experts in scienti c publishing were invited to respond to key questions about the journal\u2019s mission, quality of scienti c content, scope of operation, intended audience, and future direction. While they noted many positives of the journal\u2019s progress to date, they also identi ed important steps needed to take the journal to the next level.2017PCDYearInReview.pdfPublication date from document properties.201