Exploring neighbourhood effects on individual health in Italy: Perceptions and objective measures

Research on neighbourhood effects shows that social and physical environments can influence individual health, yet no national-level study has explored this relationship in Italy. This study examines the association between neighbourhood characteristics and both physical and mental health across Italy, combining subjective perceptions and objective measures. This research represents an initial exploration of this phenomenon due to the lack of available evidence specific to Italy. The ITA.LI survey gathered data from 8778 participants across 4900 households residing in 278 municipalities. Individual physical and mental health, measured through the SF-12, are the outcomes considered in this study. In studying the context, reference is made to both subjective perceptions and objective measures. Multilevel analysis is implemented considering a two-level structure in which individuals are nested in neighbourhoods (census blocks). Evidence suggests the existence of neighbourhood effects, especially on mental health conditions. The subjective perception of social cohesion is associated only with mental health, while the perceived neighbourhood disorder is related to both mental and physical health. Moreover, compositional characteristics are associated with worse physical health.