Socioeconomic inequalities in uptake of preventive health consultations in France, 2024-2025

Background

Preventive health consultations (PHC) were recently implemented in France to promote prevention in healthcare. Their early uptake patterns and socioeconomic gradients warrant documentation, especially as similar international initiatives have suggested limited access for deprived populations.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide ecological study using administrative health data covering all PHC delivered between January 2024 and December 2025. Monthly counts were aggregated at the departmental level (n = 95, included mainland French departments only, excluding overseas territories and Corsica). Departmental deprivation was measured using the F-EDI index and categorized into quintiles. Rates per 100,000 inhabitants were computed. Associations between deprivation and uptake were assessed using negative binomial generalized estimating equations (GEE) on monthly department-level data, accounting for repeated measures within departments.

Results

A total of 357,216 PHC were delivered to 346,794 individuals over 24 months. Uptake increased sharply over time, with a marked acceleration in late 2025. Over the study period, departments with higher deprivation exhibited higher uptake. In the GEE model, compared with the most deprived quintile, uptake was significantly lower in less deprived departments (Q1: β=−0.52, p = 0.002; Q2: β=−0.56, p = 0.001; Q3: β=−0.41, p = 0.033), while differences were not statistically significant for Q4. Descriptive analyses suggested that this gradient was driven by a higher contribution of pharmacies in more deprived areas.

Conclusions

In the early phase of implementation, PHC were more frequently delivered in socioeconomically deprived departments in France. As an ecological study, these findings describe population-level trends. This pattern appears to be driven by differences in provider mix. These findings highlight the importance of delivery models in shaping equity in access to preventive services.

Key messages

• Uptake of preventive health consultations was higher in more deprived areas.

• Provider mix, especially pharmacy involvement, may influence equity in access.