Implementing co-created citizen science in five environmental epidemiological studies in the CitieS-Health project

Area of Science:

• Environmental Epidemiology
• Citizen Science
• Public Health Research

Background:

• Citizen science is increasingly adopted in environmental monitoring but rarely in environmental epidemiology.
• The CitieS-Health project explored co-created citizen science in epidemiological studies across five European countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To share experiences and provide methodological insights on applying co-created citizen science in environmental epidemiology.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of integrating citizen participation throughout the research process.

Main Methods:

• Applied the CitieS-Health framework, involving citizens in all study phases: question identification, protocol design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination.
• Conducted studies in Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain, addressing diverse environmental issues and health outcomes.

Main Results:

• Successfully conducted co-created environmental epidemiological studies, generating new knowledge aligned with citizen concerns.
• Citizens actively contributed across all research activities, though researchers managed complex tasks like data analysis.
• Identified challenges including sustained engagement, integrating diverse knowledge, managing expectations, and ensuring representativeness.

Conclusions:

• Co-created citizen science is feasible in environmental epidemiology, enhancing research quality.
• This approach fosters civic trust in scientific research and its outcomes.
• Empowers citizens to address local environmental health issues using generated scientific knowledge.