Healthy worker, healthy citizen: the place of occupational health within public health research in Switzerland

Objectives To assess the state of Swiss occupational health (OH) research over the period 2008-2017. Methods Two types of indicators were constructed, focused, respectively, on resources available for OH research and its output. Data for their assessment were gathered from specialized research institutions, professional associations, and the Swiss Federal Statistical Office. Results Thirty-two of 317 Ph.D./M.D.-Ph.D. theses delivered were in the field of OH. The number of OH physicians progressed substantially, but the density of OH professionals per number of active workers showed important variations between OH disciplines and geographical regions. The number of yearly peer-reviewed publications increased substantially but represented 6% of publications in public health in 2017. Psychological and respiratory health conditions were the most studied topics, while papers on cancers accounted for only 10%. Conclusions This study suggests a limited place of OH research in the Swiss public health landscape and the need for a national research effort in OH. This requires an improved collaboration between regional and federal authorities and communication/coordination between public health authorities and OH executive institutions belonging to the economic sector.