Despite their shared historical and geographical context, the life expectancy of cross-border citizens living in the province of Liège, the Belgian and Dutch provinces of Limburg, and the urban region of Aachen varies widely. In order to quantify and explore the factors behind these differences, the INTERREG Meuse-Rhine (IMR) "Blue Zone" university consortium, comprising researchers from the Universities of Hasselt, Liège, Aachen and Maastricht, is launching a large-scale inter-regional citizen science project.
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ver the next three years, the consortium will map various cardiometabolic, physical and mental health variables of cross-border populations in the Euregio, and investigate whether these important factors can be improved by focusing more on healthier lifestyles and targeted prevention strategies. The project will take into account socio-economic profiles and lifestyle differences between citizens in different regions. The project aims to help reduce these potential (inter)regional differences by exploring healthy lifestyle behaviors and helping to promote preventive medicine strategies in healthcare (education) in these four cross-border regions.
The project will monitor no fewer than 1,000 cross-border citizens, 250 per cross-border region, and more specifically in the towns and communes of Pepinster, Seraing, Chaudfontaine, Genk, Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen, and in the Aachen region.
" Initially, we will quantify physical activity, various cardiometabolic parameters, mental health and diet in selected participants, and then compare these data between IMR regions and with national data from other regions," says Professor Bert Op 't Eijnde of Hasselt University (Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences), who is leading the Blue Zone project. Next, we will try to improve important factors of a healthy lifestyle, such as physical activity and mental health, using a connected watch offered to participants and an individualized follow-up program, including targeted feedback on participants' behaviors. In addition, we will assess whether and how increased physical activity has an impact on cardiometabolic and mental health, and on eating behaviours.
Project partners also aim to develop strategies that effectively motivate/encourage their citizens to become more physically active and make healthier lifestyle choices in the long term. Thus, chronic disease prevention plays a major role in this Blue Zone project, as we know that many of them can be avoided through targeted preventive medicine approaches. " In this project, we are therefore also investigating whether and how preventive medicine accents are being introduced into healthcare facilities and healthcare teaching programs at the IMR," explains Professor Anouk Agten of Hasselt University. Thus, the Blue Zone consortium will analyze the teaching content related to prevention towards a healthy lifestyle in a wide range of curricula addressed to future healthcare professionals at the IMR. " We will also be surveying practicing healthcare professionals (doctors, physiotherapists, pharmacists, nurses, etc.) in the four cross-border regions to determine the extent to which they are already focusing on primary prevention in their treatment and advice to patients," explains Professor Alexandre Mouton from the University of Liège. We will compare these results between regions and with national data to see if differences can be found, and if further efforts are needed via the introduction of educational modules aimed at these (future) professionals.
On 4/12, the Blue Zone IMR project was officially launched at a kick-off event in Liège, in the presence of all project partners, the governors of the provinces of Liège and Belgian Limburg, and the Rector of the University of Liège.
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L'édition 2026 de la Nuit des Chercheur·es se tiendra le vendredi 25 septembre 2026. Impliquée dans la Nuit des Chercheur·es depuis sa création, l'ULiège vous invite à participer à cette manifestation de culture scientifique.
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