What is a cohort study?

Many of the studies in which you are taking part on this platform are so-called " cohort " studies. But what exactly is meant by this term, which is often used when we communicate with you throughout the year?

The video below explains it in one minute!

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To sum up, a cohort study is a type of epidemiological study in which the principle is to follow a group of people over time in relation to one or more themes linked to their health.

Epidemiological cohort studies exist in many countries. They are often limited to specific themes (e.g. the impact of nutrition on our health) or specific populations (e.g. healthcare workers). So-called 'generalist' cohort studies involving the whole population are rarer, but they do exist in France, the UK, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.

While studies similar to the Specchio study are being carried out elsewhere in Europe and the rest of the world, we still need observation systems to see what is happening locally. This is to identify and observe specific problems, taking into account the particularities of a given area, such as the organisation of the healthcare system in a town, a canton or even a country. Specchio will therefore provide a better understanding of the state of health of the population of the canton of Geneva over time, and of any geographical disparities.

In epidemiology, only rigorous, large-scale observational systems such as Specchio can provide high-quality data and robust results. Thanks to the results of this cohort study, it will be possible to gain a better understanding of the factors influencing the population's state of health, so that, where necessary, preventive and health promotion measures can be deployed, or even a specific organisation of the healthcare system.