OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) (according to the SFAR, Score For Allergic Rhinitis and the ARIA Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma classification) in the French adult general population and to describe its impact on quality of life, quality of sleep and prevalence of associated ocular symptoms. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was carried out in 2006 in a French population-based sample. The data were collected by a polling organization in 3 waves using face-to-face interviews at home. Subjects answered to questionnaires of AR management, quality of life (SF-12), quality of sleep (MOS-Sleep) and daytime sleepiness (Epworth). Statistical analysis was performed using SAS software. RESULTS: Among the 10, 038 interviewed subjects, (mean age: 43 years), the overall prevalence of AR was 31%, with regional variations (from 26% in South West to 37% in the Mediterranean area). The prevalence was higher in younger subjects (39% in 18-25 years, 35% in 26-35 years, vs. 22% in >65 years, p<0.001) and in women (36% vs. 25% in men, p<0.001). Among the 2005 subjects of the 1st wave, the first 601 subjects with a SFAR> or =7 constituted the AR group and 706 subjects with SFAR<7 the Control group. According to the ARIA classification, 44 % of individuals had a moderate to severe persistent AR, 6% a mild persistent AR, 43.5% a moderate to severe intermittent AR and 6.5% a mild intermittent AR. Asthma (26%) and eczema (14%) were the most frequent allergic conditions associated with AR. Ocular symptoms were present in 52% of AR subjects. Quality of life and of sleep did not differ significantly between the intermittent and the persistent forms of AR (or according to the length...) but were more significantly deteriorated in the AR group compared to the Control group (summary psychic score of SF-12: 45.5 vs. 49, p<0.001 and index 1 of MOS-Sleep: 34 vs. 25; p<0.01). The Epworth sleepiness score was also higher in the AR group than in the Control group (6.9 vs. 5.5, p<0.01). Furthermore, sleepiness was more frequent in the AR persistent form than in the AR intermittent form (MOS-sleep scores: 28.5 vs. 33, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This national survey confirmed the elevated prevalence of AR as assessed using the SFAR and associated ocular symptoms at the general population level and highlighted the important negative impact of AR on quality of life and sleep.