Environmental and social determinants of aging perception in metropolitan and rural areas of Southern Italy.

The increasing life expectancy is accompanied by a growing request of social and health care services, and social inequalities may contribute to a poor quality of life (QoL) and an increased risk of cognitive impairment and disability. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of social, environmental, and economic factors in determining subjective perception of aging in older people coming from two different areas (metropolitan and rural) of Southern Italy. We used data from a survey carried out in three metropolitan and three rural communities in Southern Italy.