Albane: What Is It?

Albane is a large-scale national survey involving health examinations conducted jointly by two public health agencies: Santé publique France and ANSES (the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety). It enables them to fulfill their respective and complementary missions of monitoring and assessing health risks related to Food, Biomonitoring, Health, Nutrition, and the Environment (Albane).

Conducted every two years, it will help provide a comprehensive and continuous overview of the population’s health.

Starting in June 2025, the survey will be conducted in mainland France across more than 160 survey areas, involving over 3,000 people. This constitutes the first cycle of the survey, which will conclude in December 2026.

Subsequent cycles will then be conducted every two years with different participants.

What are the objectives of the Albane survey?

Albane combines the objectives of two previous studies (INCA 3 and ESTEBAN) on diet, nutrition, health status, and exposure to environmental chemicals into a single survey. This ongoing survey will enable data collection and the regular production of indicators through a two-year data collection cycle, thereby allowing for the tracking of trends over time.

Albane aims to gain a better understanding of the health status of the population living in mainland France (including Corsica) in order to help public authorities guide health and prevention policies. As the survey is repeated, it will notably allow for:

• describe the prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, obesity, and high blood pressure;

• to provide information on exposure to chemicals such as pesticides, bisphenols, phthalates, or perfluorinated compounds (PFAS);

• gain a better understanding of the population’s dietary habits and level of physical activity.

Who is eligible to participate?

The target population for the Albane survey is the general population residing in mainland France, including Corsica, aged 0 to 79. The first phase will include a sample of 150 young children aged 0 to 2, 1,000 children aged 3 to 17, and 2,000 adults aged 18 to 79. These participants will be selected from more than 160 survey areas randomly distributed across the country.

What are the different stages of the investigation?

The Albane survey takes place in three stages:

1. An Ipsos interviewer visits the homes of selected participants to introduce the survey, obtain their consent to participate, and ask them questions about their household, housing, health, diet, etc. The interviewer also provides them with the necessary materials and instructions for the rest of the survey.

2. Over a three-week period, participants complete a questionnaire about their lifestyle, health, dietary habits, and physical activity. They are free to answer it whenever they wish. They are also asked to describe their food intake over three randomly selected days. A subsample of participants will also be asked to wear an accelerometer for a seven-day period to measure their physical activity.

3. Finally, participants will need to visit a partner clinical laboratory for a health examination: measurements of height, weight, muscle strength, and blood pressure. Urine and hair samples will also be collected, along with a blood sample for participants over the age of six. Participants will then be interviewed about any chronic conditions they may have, tobacco use, and exposure to specific chemicals.

When will the results be available?

The first results will be available starting in 2027, and those related to biomonitoring starting in 2028.

Funding and Partnerships

Albane is a survey co-funded by Santé publique France, ANSES, the Ministry of the Environment and Ecology, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Labor.

Survey Partners

• The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) collects, produces, and disseminates information and statistics on the French economy and society. The Albane survey relies on the Demographic File on Housing and Individuals (Fideli), produced by INSEE using tax-related data (housing tax, built property registry, individual tax records, and income tax returns).

• The University of Cambridge developed the Intake24 software, which enables the collection of data on participants’ food consumption

• Ipsos conducts the survey among participants (recruiting participants, administering questionnaires, collecting food consumption data, etc.).

Data Privacy and Regulatory Authorizations

The Albane survey involves the processing of personal data for the purpose of carrying out a mission in the public interest, for which Santé publique France and ANSES are responsible.

Santé publique France and ANSES ensure the security and confidentiality of the responses and measurements collected from participants, from collection through to destruction, thereby protecting their privacy.

The computer processing of data collected as part of the Albane survey received a favorable opinion from the CNIL in September 2024 (Decision No. 2024-65), in accordance with the provisions of the “Data Protection Act” regarding the processing of personal data carried out within the framework of research, surveys, or evaluations in the field of health. The National Commission on Information Technology and Civil Liberties (CNIL) is an independent administrative authority that oversees data controllers and verifies the practical implementation of the law.

The Albane study is subject to an authorization issued by the Committee for the Protection of Persons (CPP) in October 2023 (No. 2023-A01807-38). The CPP considers that the ethical conditions are met in accordance with the provisions of Article L. 1123-7 of the Public Health Code. The Committees for the Protection of Persons (CPP) issue a prior opinion on the validity conditions of any research involving human subjects, in accordance with the criteria defined by Article L. 1123-7 of the Public Health Code.

The survey also received a favorable opinion on its appropriateness from the National Council for Statistical Information (CNIS) on December 1, 2022 (CNIS Opinion No. 11/H030) and received a favorable review opinion from the Public Statistics Label Committee (Opinion No. 2025_10406_GG75-L002).

Finally, the Albane survey received a favorable opinion from the Statistical Confidentiality Committee regarding the use of data from the Fidéli database. The Statistical Confidentiality Committee ensures compliance with statistical confidentiality rules and issues opinions on requests for the disclosure of individual data collected through surveys for the purpose of compiling public statistics.