Peer-reviewed Nutrition-Affiliated Journals from Sub-Saharan Africa: A Regional Snapshot

Background. Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries face the multipart burden of nutrition-related disease characterized by a high incidence of undernutrition, overweight, obesity, and associated non-communicable disease. Local and regional research to support a robust public health response is necessary. No evaluation of the availability and scope of nutrition-related journals within SSA has been published. Methods. An electronic search for peer-reviewed journals was conducted using seven publicly accessible databases. Results. Ten journals were identified including journals from Kenya (4 journals), Nigeria (3 journals), South Africa (2 journals), and Ghana (1 journal) with eight journals in active production. All actively publishing journals are available only as English publications. Conclusion. An increased focus on evidence-based research through local and regional journal publications is necessary to develop and maintain public health nutrition programs. Active journals related to nutrition and food sciences are very limited in this comparatively large area and require more support at local, regional, and legislative levels.