Urban Health and Social Marginality: Perceived Health Status and Interaction with Healthcare Professionals of a Hard-to-Reach Community Living in a Suburban Area of Rome (Italy)

• Main Authors: Susanna Caminada, Federica Turatto, Silvia Iorio, Lorenzo Paglione, Miriam Errigo, Elena Mazzalai, Anissa Jaljaa, Dara Giannini, Marco Tofani, Maria Benedetta Michelazzo, Adelaide Landi, Massimo Napoli, Maria Alessandra Brandimarte, Livia Maria Salvatori, Aurora Angelozzi, Giovanni Baglio, Enrico Di Rosa, Alessandra Battisti, Maurizio Marceca
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: urban health; social determinants of health; health inequities; hard-to-reach groups; health-related behaviours; healthcare use
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/16/8804
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

The study reports an urban health investigation conducted in Bastogi, an outskirt of Rome (Italy) characterised by social marginalization and deprivation. Our aim was to analyse the health perception, health-related behaviours, and interaction with healthcare professionals of the inhabitants of Bastogi compared to the population living in the area of the same local health unit (ASL). The Progresses of Health Authorities for Health in Italy questionnaire (PASSI) was administered to a sample of 210 inhabitants of Bastogi. Data were analysed and compared to those of the ASL collected in 2017–2018. The socio-economic indicators showed an overall worse condition for the inhabitants of Bastogi, with a significantly higher proportion of foreign and unemployed residents and a lower educational level compared to the ASL. Significant differences in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases, mental health complaints, and participation in prevention strategies, including cancer screening, were found. The questionnaire showed a lower help-seeking behaviour and a lack of reliance on health professionals in Bastogi inhabitants. Our findings highlight how social determinants produce health inequities and barriers to accessing healthcare. The difficulties of conducting quantitative research in complex and hard-to-reach contexts, characterized by high social vulnerability, are outlined.