Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Care and Outcomes Among Children with Cancers
A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Pediatric Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 49
Special Issue Editors
Interests: social and environmental determinants of health; health disparities research; pediatric cancer epidemiology; survivorship research; chronic health conditions in cancer survivors; population health; global health
Interests: social and environmental determinants of health; health disparity and equity research; health services and outcomes research; patient-reported outcomes measurement and clinical application; quality of life and symptoms assessment in childhood cancers; social network/integration research in cancer survivors; financial toxicity in childhood cancer
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite you to contribute to an upcoming Special Issue of the journal Children, titled “Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Care and Outcomes Among Children with Cancers”.
Children diagnosed with cancer face not only the direct effects of their disease and treatments but also the broader social and environmental conditions of the communities where they live. Factors such as socioeconomic resources, access to medical care and community services, social support, and environmental exposures can significantly influence health outcomes across the cancer care continuum. Understanding how these conditions interact with genetic predisposition and biological mechanisms is essential in improving survivorship, reducing disparities, and enhancing quality of life for pediatric cancer populations.
The field is rapidly evolving, with growing attention paid to how the places where children live influence disparities in cancer-related outcomes, recovery, and quality of life. Emerging evidence highlights the interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental exposures, alongside the social and biological mechanisms through which local living conditions shape health. Incorporating this knowledge into risk prediction models and survivorship care planning can inform targeted, equitable, and effective interventions.
The goal of this Special Issue is to highlight advances in understanding and addressing how the social and environmental conditions in children’s communities affect pediatric cancer outcomes, from diagnosis through survivorship. We welcome studies that identify risk and protective factors, elucidate underlying mechanisms, and propose actionable strategies to reduce disparities. Both original research articles and reviews are encouraged. The scope is limited to studies on individuals younger than 21 years old, excluding adult survivors of childhood cancer.
We welcome in-depth reviews and empirical studies on the following topics:
- Social and environmental conditions in the communities where children live and their influence on cancer-related outcomes across the life course;
- Social and biological mechanisms underlying the influence of community context in medical and psychosocial outcomes;
- Interactions between genetic factors and community-level exposures in shaping the progression of cancer-related outcomes;
- The influence of local social and environmental conditions on cancer risk prediction models and survivorship care planning;
- Clinical interventions aimed at reducing place-based disparities and improving survivorship outcomes;
- Policy-relevant research that informs equitable care delivery for pediatric cancer populations.
Dr. Jaesung Choi
Dr. I-Chan Huang
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. Children 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 2400 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.
Keywords
- social determinants of health
- environmental determinants
- pediatric cancer
- survivorship
- health disparities
- health equalities
- risk prediction
- gene × environmental interaction
- interventions
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
