Introduction to Causal Inference Methods in Nutritional Research
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition Methodology & Assessment".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2022) | Viewed by 36223
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
A common goal of nutritional research is to identify causal effects of nutritional exposures on health outcomes, and to estimate their magnitude. However, the data used for nutritional research is frequently observational, reflecting ethical and logistical challenges with randomly assigning nutritional exposures and the relative ease of collecting such exposures via participant self-report.
Observational data pose important challenges for causal inference, with effect estimates potentially biased by confounding (measured or unmeasured), measurement error and selection bias. Various statistical and epidemiological methods support causal inference from observation data, including causal diagrams, instrumental variable analysis, propensity scores and quantitative bias analyses. However, these methods also have underlying assumptions, require specific expertise and may not successfully remove all bias.
In this Special Issue, we highlight the value of causal inference methodology in nutritional research. We welcome reviews explaining causal inference methods for a nutritional audience, research articles showcasing the use of causal inference methods in nutritional research, and commentaries.
Dr. Elizabeth Holliday
Guest Editor
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. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2900 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
- nutrition
- obesity
- observational study
- causal inference
- directed acyclic graph (DAG)
- mediation
- propensity score
- bias analysis
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.