What does ESTEBAN stand for?

ESTEBAN is the acronym used for "Health Study on the Environment, Biomonitoring, Physical Activity, and Nutrition."

What does the study involve?

ESTEBAN is a so-called "cross-sectional" study, which will be conducted every 7 years. It tracks long-term trends in dietary habits, physical activity, certain chronic diseases, risk factors, and exposure to approximately 100 environmental substances.

Data collection includes:

• two questionnaires administered in person during two home visits,

• completion of "self-administered questionnaires" (on paper or online),

• a dietary survey conducted by phone or online via three 24-hour recalls (or recordings) over a three-week period,

• a health examination with measurements and biological samples.

What are Esteban’s objectives?

• To estimate the population’s exposure levels to environmental substances and establish national reference values

• To describe dietary intake, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and the nutritional status of the French population

• To estimate the prevalence of chronic diseases (diabetes, COPD), vascular risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia), and their undiagnosed portion

• Estimate the prevalence of asthma, atopy, and allergic diseases among children

• Provide the indicators necessary for defining and understanding the monitoring of public health policies (Public Health Act, National Health and Environment Plan (PNNS), Obesity Plan, etc.).

How are participants selected?

To ensure they are representative of the population living in metropolitan France, participants are selected at random from a list of automatically generated phone numbers. The participant is then chosen at random from among the members of the household associated with that phone number.

Can I refuse to participate in Esteban?

Yes. However, your participation helps improve the quality and representativeness of our results: for both children and adults, the higher the participation rate, the greater the scientific validity of the study.

In accordance with the Law on Biomedical Research (August 9, 2004, Art. L1122-1), participation in this study is voluntary, and you are entirely free to accept or decline participation, with no repercussions on your medical care.

If you agree to participate in the study, you will be asked to sign a “participation consent form.” This document states that you have been informed of the nature of the data being collected, the identity of the legal entities receiving this data, and the strict and sole research purposes for which the data is intended.

You are free to agree or refuse to have some of the biological samples (blood, urine, hair) collected during the health examination stored in a biobank and used later for analyses related to the study’s themes (environmental biomonitoring, nutritional monitoring, and monitoring of chronic diseases). If you refuse to have your biological samples stored in the biobank, they will be destroyed.

You are free to consent to or refuse the sharing of data from your health insurance provider regarding prescriptions and care received.

You are free to decide to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without having to provide any justification.

What happens to the information and samples collected?

Esteban respects the medical confidentiality of your records, guarantees the anonymity of your data, and ensures the confidentiality of the information collected. Some of the samples will be stored in a biobank (a collection of biological samples) for 20 years to advance knowledge in the field of health.

How long will I be involved?

Details of the study phases and their duration are provided on the "Study Process" page. In total, Esteban will require your participation on an as-needed basis over a period of one and a half to two months, from the start of your participation until the completion of the health examination.

Do I need to take time off work for the health exam?

No. Thanks to an agreement with the Health Insurance, you can take time off work for the health examination conducted at a health examination center without using your paid leave.

How were the environmental substances to be tested selected?

The biological tests conducted as part of the Esteban study were selected by scientific experts based on numerous criteria, including the suspected or proven health effects of the substances being measured.

My child was selected at random. Who decides whether they participate?

Children’s participation is subject to the consent of the child and both parents, or the person with parental authority.

How are data security and confidentiality ensured?

With regard to the processing of your data, you are protected by the French Data Protection Act (Law No. 78-17 of January 6, 1978, as amended). This law regulates the collection and use of health data.

In accordance with the law, all necessary measures are taken to ensure the security of your data, in particular to prevent unauthorized access. Only individuals duly authorized by the study sponsor, and potentially by representatives of health administrative authorities—all of whom are bound by professional confidentiality (Article 40-3 of the amended Law of December 20, 1988)—will have access to participant data, under conditions that guarantee absolute confidentiality.

All procedures have been reviewed and authorized by the National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties (CNIL).

In accordance with the Data Protection Act (Law No. 78-17 of January 6, 1978, as amended), you have the right to access the data concerning you and the right to request the destruction of such data if you decide to withdraw from the study. You also have the right to verify the accuracy of the information you have provided and to request its correction if necessary. These rights may be exercised at any time by sending a written request to the study coordinator: Corinne Delamaire, Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Department of Environmental Health, 12 rue du Val d’Osne, 94415 Saint-Maurice Cedex.

The computer processing of this data has been authorized by the Council of State (Council of State Decree No. 2013-742 establishing a personal data processing system related to biosurveillance, health surveillance, and nutrition, known as "Esteban," published in the Official Journal on August 14, 2013) following a favorable opinion from the CNIL.

This study received a favorable opinion (No. 2012-A00459-34) from the "Ile-de-France IX" Committee for the Protection of Persons (CPP) on June 6, 2012, and was the subject of an authorization request for its biobank (collection of biological samples).

It was also registered with the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM) (No. 2012-A00459-34).