Network on the Coordination and Harmonisation of European Occupational Cohorts (OMEGA-NET)

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Employment is an essential component of adult life, and occupation is a major determinant of health. However, there has been little coordinated occupational health research in Europe and globally. Europe has many valuable occupational, industrial, and population cohorts. There is a need for integration of these cohorts to facilitate their exploitation, essential to underpin evidence-based interventions and policy. METHODS: OMEGA-NET (omeganetcohorts.eu) is a COST Action network (2017–2021), funded by EU, currently involving researchers from 40 European, near neighbour and international partner countries. The overarching concept is to create a network to advance i) collaboration of existing cohorts, ii) coordination and harmonisation of occupational exposure assessment, and iii) facilitation of an integrated research strategy for occupational health in Europe. RESULTS:OMEGA-NET is currently building two online searchable inventories: Inventory of Occupational Cohorts (presented in this mini-symposium), and Inventory of Exposure Assessment Tools. Working Groups are doing harmonisation of occupational exposure and health outcome information, as well as developing standardised protocols for future occupational exposure and health outcome information, some in the form of position papers. Harmonisation of occupational health outcomes currently include Burnout, Musculoskeletal disorders, Allergies and Cancer. Topics of the protocols or position papers include Healthy ageing and work participation, Working hours, Employment patterns in the young including young employed mothers, Occupational skin diseases, Work-related psychosocial determinants on mental health, Precarious employment (presented in this mini-symposium) and Migrant workers. OMEGA-NET also includes opportunities for networking, leadership and training for early career researchers in occupational epidemiology and exposure assessment, and visits to other research institutions, as well as stakeholder engagement. CONCLUSIONS:Collaboration through OMEGA-NET will enhance the scientific occupational health research, recently demonstrated through EU funding of the EPHOR project (Exposome Project for Health and Occupational Research). OMEGA-NET is promoting much needed global collaboration on occupational health. KEYWORDS: International collaboration, Occupational epidemiology, Occupational exposures, Outcomes