Evolution and determinants of subjective well-being in the French general population between 2014 and 2023

Subjective well-being is a multidimensional construct shaped by sociodemographic characteristics, contextual events, and health status. However, the role of acute symptom burden, the seasonality and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on well-being remain insufficiently characterised. This longitudinal study examined trends and determinants of well-being in the French population between 2014 and 2023. We analysed self-reported well-being scores collected weekly from participants in the Grippenet/Covidnet French participatory surveillance cohort over nine consecutive winter seasons (2014–2023). Well-being was assessed through the question “Overall, how are you feeling?”, rated on a visual analogue scale (0-100). Post-stratification weights were applied to account for demographic non-representativeness, and inverse probability weights (IPW), reflecting the averaging of repeated within-week questionnaire submissions, were applied to weekly well-being scores. Weighted linear mixed models assessed associations between well-being scores and sociodemographic characteristics, health indicators, and three pandemic periods (pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-health emergency). Well-being scores remained stable from 2014 to 2019 (median: 86–88) and rose markedly during the pandemic period (median: 91–93). The strongest association of lower well-being was symptom count ([1–2] symptoms: β = -14.74, 95% CI: -14.84 to -14.65; [3–5]: β = -25.57, 95% CI: -25.68 to -25.45; >5: β = -40.02, 95% CI: -40.20 to -39.83). Apparent winter declines were largely attributable to increased symptom frequency rather than a direct seasonal effect, though a small residual seasonal association persisted among asymptomatic participants (β = -0.23, 95% CI: -0.27 to -0.19). Male (β = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.21 to 1.07), higher education (β = 0.82, 95% CI:0.52 to 1.12), and retirement status (β = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.29 to 1.61) were positively associated with well-being, whereas chronic conditions were negatively associated (β = -0.77, 95% CI: -0.87 to -0.67). Both the pandemic (β = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.98 to 2.11) and post-emergency (β = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.90 to 2.11) periods were associated with higher scores relative to the pre-pandemic period. Health status was a major determinant of subjective well-being in this cohort, while sociodemographic inequalities shape baseline levels.