This vast survey should provide a better understanding of the state of health of the French.

This study, conducted from Monday over several years by the health authorities, will in particular make it possible to describe the frequency of chronic diseases such as diabetes, respiratory diseases, allergies and high blood pressure.

This survey, called the “Albane study”, launched on Monday, September 16, aims to update data on the evolution of chronic diseases in France, and to better understand how eating habits, physical activity or the environment can influence them. By the end of 2026, 3,000 French people (1,000 children and 2,000 adults) will be asked to answer questionnaires and take a health check. The objective of this study led by Santé publique France and the French National Agency for Food and Environmental Safety (ANSES) is also to better adapt prevention policies to each age group in life.

The selection of people who will participate in this survey will be done by drawing lots from an INSEE database representative of the population. The children and adults selected will give by their age, their sex, their place of residence (city or countryside) a representation consistent with that of the French population aged 0 to 79 years.

The official study is due to start in January, but a test phase begins on Monday, September 16. Some
200 people will be asked in Île-de-France and 200 others in Nouvelle Aquitaine, in order to test the questionnaire and the acceptability of this new study. For those who agree to participate, the health assessment is quite comprehensive, because in addition to a questionnaire on family, housing, diet, and lifestyle habits, some participants will also have to wear an accelerometer for a week to measure their level of physical activity. The assessment will also include a medical examination with measurement of blood pressure, weight, blood and urine analysis. The idea is also to collect new data on the exposure of the French population to chemical substances from the environment such as pesticides, bisphenols, phthalates, for example. This is called biomonitoring.

Obviously all this data will remain anonymous. If you are asked, participation is optional and voluntary, but the interest for volunteers is that they will have access, if they wish, to their medical analysis results.