Dear Colleagues,

Strengthening the evidence base for primary prevention and health promotion has been a key issue in this research area in recent decades. Applying appropriate methods reflecting the complexity of such interventions is a core topic, but also, the adaptation of evidence from small scientific trials to real-world settings requires further attention. As more and more interventions show sufficient efficacy, it is important to learn more about effective implementation strategies, as well as the structures and resources needed for a successful scaling up of the interventions. At the same time, questions about equity implications in terms of differential access and effectiveness of the interventions across population groups arise, calling for context sensitivity and sociocultural adaptation. 

While participation and target group involvement have been at the very heart of health promotion for a long time, the topic has recently gained relevance in the field of knowledge transfer. Approaches like co-creation or so-called living labs aknowledge and value the active role of citizens in the process of knowledge production. The potential of these approaches, but also the challenges that may arise from the tension between practical knowledge and evidence-based practice, require more attention in the field of disease prevention and health promotion.

This Special Issue welcomes empirical studies (qualitative and/or quantitative), evidence syntheses and conceptual papers on the following topics:

• Analyzing the effectiveness of preventive interventions in real-world settings;
• Implemention strategies and sustainability of effective interventions;
• Assessing the scalability of preventive interventions;
• Sociocultural appropriateness and equity implications;
• Innovative methods for interactive knowledge production and transfer.

Dr. Tilman Brand
Dr. Karina De Santis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Primary prevention
• Health promotion
• Evidence
• Effectiveness
• Implementation
• Scalability
• Health inequalities
• Knowledge transfer