Cohort Profile: Swiss Personalized Health Network Cohort Consortium

Background

Swiss cohort studies provide high-quality longitudinal data, but finding and comparing relevant studies across cohorts has historically been challenging. The Swiss Personalized Health Network Cohort Consortium (SPHN-CC) was established to address these limitations by creating the first coordinated network of Swiss cohort studies within the internationally recognized Maelstrom Research catalogue.

Methods

Participating cohorts were invited in 2021–2022, including longitudinal and cross-sectional studies with 1’010–21’993 participants. Data collected include questionnaires, physical and cognitive assessments, administrative records, and biological samples. Variables were classified into 18 domains and 134 subdomains, and an online metadata catalogue was implemented to document study designs, explore variable content, and assess harmonization potential.

Results

The catalogue enables researchers to identify study-specific and harmonized variables for co-analysis. Core variables, such as age, sex/gender, anthropometrics, and medication use, are widely available, while other variables vary across cohorts. Harmonization assessments demonstrate that several key variables can be co-analyzed across multiple studies, supporting collaborative research with over 37,000 participants. A use case illustrates the potential for harmonizing and co-analyzing data across studies.

Conclusions

The SPHN-CC strengthens Swiss cohort research by enhancing data discoverability, supporting harmonization, and facilitating cross-cohort and international research, providing a model for more efficient use of high-value longitudinal data.

Key features

• The Swiss Personalized Health Network Cohort Consortium aims to optimize the use of data and biological samples collected by publicly funded Swiss cohort studies.

• Up to now, ten studies participated in the initiative. From 1988 to 2020 they together recruited over 50’000 participants. Recruitment remains active for six of the studies. Most cohorts are still collecting data and biological samples.

• All studies collected information from questionnaires, nine also collected biospecimens, seven performed physical measurements, two conducted cognitive assessments and two retrieved information from administrative databases at least once during the life course of the study.

• An online study and variables catalogue was developed to help researchers determine whether data collected might serve to answer the specific research questions they would like to address and, if relevant, may be harmonized and co-analyzed across studies.

• Access to the metadata catalogue is open and free.