Journal of Physical Activity and Health: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 1543-3080 · ISSN 1543-5474 · Human Kinetics · Medicine
Half of the articles Journal of Physical Activity and Health accepted in 2025 were accepted within 136 days of submission (n = 217); the middle half took 87–203 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does Journal of Physical Activity and Health take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 217 | 87 | 136 | 203 | 280 | 15.7% | 83% |
| 2024 | 168 | 110 | 154 | 200 | — | 7.7% | 92% |
| 2023 | 147 | 88 | 159 | 221 | — | 13.6% | 86% |
| 2022 | 106 | 92 | 130 | 173 | — | 9.4% | 91% |
| 2021 | 167 | 101 | 145 | 202 | — | 6.6% | 93% |
| 2020 | 139 | 147 | 203 | 277 | — | 2.9% | 96% |
- 2026: not shown yet — a year is reported once late-indexed articles have arrived (at least 180 days after it ends).
Distribution in 2025
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 37 | 17.1% |
| 30–59 | 5 | 2.3% |
| 60–89 | 14 | 6.5% |
| 90–119 | 34 | 15.7% |
| 120–149 | 27 | 12.4% |
| 150–179 | 29 | 13.4% |
| 180–209 | 19 | 8.8% |
| 210–239 | 13 | 6.0% |
| 240–269 | 14 | 6.5% |
| 270–299 | 13 | 6.0% |
| 300–329 | 4 | 1.8% |
| 330–359 | 3 | 1.4% |
| 360+ | 5 | 2.3% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 62 days (middle half 55–69 days, n = 218).
From submission to online publication, the median was 201 days (middle half 146–266 days, n = 217).
Read these numbers carefully
- These times describe articles the journal accepted. Rejected manuscripts never appear in public data, so they cannot tell you how long a rejection takes.
- Dates are the ones the publisher deposited with PubMed. Some publishers record the date a revised manuscript arrived as the submission date, which makes review look faster.
- Invited articles and special issues can move faster than regular submissions.
Open access status and publishing fees
Hybrid (subscription journal with an open-access option). No listed APC found in DOAJ or OpenAlex. That does not mean publishing is free — check the journal's author guidelines.
OpenAPC has fewer than 5 reported payments for this journal in 2023–2025, so no typical amount is shown.
Many journals waive or reduce fees for authors from eligible countries or institutions with publishing agreements — check with the journal and your library.
Integrity and indexing signals
Facts from public records, shown without judgement. See the methodology for why each can be worth a closer look.
| Listed in DOAJ | No |
|---|---|
| Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025 | Yes |
| Retractions | 0 retracted articles among 789 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 15.7% of 2025 articles |
| Publication volume | 197 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+26% vs 2024). |
Topics and scope
- Physical Activity and Health (28% of indexed topics)
- Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (20% of indexed topics)
- Children's Physical and Motor Development (9% of indexed topics)
- Urban Transport and Accessibility (8% of indexed topics)
- Cardiovascular and exercise physiology (4% of indexed topics)
- Physical Education and Pedagogy (4% of indexed topics)
Similar journals — faster or cheaper, side by side
Journals publishing on the most similar topics (OpenAlex), ordered by similarity. Only 2025 figures are compared with the 2025 median of Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 136 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity | 159 (2025, n = 152) | $3,285 | $2,757 (12 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Journal of Aging and Physical Activity | 260 (2025, n = 94) | — | — | No | Yes |
| Journal of sport and health science/Journal of Sport and Health Science | 113 (2025, n = 84) | No fee (DOAJ) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Preventive Medicine Reports | 109 (2025, n = 367) | $2,940 | $2,671 (9 payments) | Yes | No |
| Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness | 130 (2025, n = 66) | $1,150 | — | Yes | No |
| Preventive Medicine | 99 (2025, n = 148) | ≈$3,650 | — | No | Yes |
| Pediatric Obesity | 186 (2025, n = 80) | ≈$4,880 | — | No | Yes |
| AIMS Public Health | 93 (2025, n = 60) | ≈$300 | — | No | No |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Journal of Physical Activity and Health take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles Journal of Physical Activity and Health accepted in 2025 were accepted within 136 days of submission (n = 217); the middle half took 87–203 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are Journal of Physical Activity and Health articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 62 days of acceptance (n = 218).
Does Journal of Physical Activity and Health charge an article processing charge (APC)?
No listed APC found in DOAJ or OpenAlex. That does not mean publishing is free — check the journal's author guidelines.
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 1543-3080; NLM ID 101189457; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 217 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: same day non research 1.
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Data sources. Submission, acceptance and publication dates: Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed, entries through Sep 15, 2026). NLM does not endorse Journal Clock, and these figures may not reflect the most current PubMed data. Journal fees and open-access listing: DOAJ (CC0, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Fees paid by institutions: OpenAPC (Open Database License, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Retractions: Retraction Watch Database via Crossref (retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Journal identifiers and topics: OpenAlex (CC0). Currency conversion: ECB reference rates (Sep 15, 2026). How these numbers are calculated · For organisations.