Social inequalities in the metropolitan area of Rome. A multidisciplinary analysis of the urban segregation of the "formerly-Bastogi" compound.

Background. This study tries to evaluate, through a multidisciplinary approach, the relationship between urban structure, isolation and distribution of social determinants of health, in the so-called "fomierly-Bastogi, a compound, with more than 1,500 inhabitants, located in north-western Rome, Italy. Methods. The architectural-urban analysis, conducted through site visits and evaluations of urban situation, showed how strongly the compound is isolated from the neighbourhoods, and structurally degraded. The socio-demographic analysis, based on the National Census data, showed significant differences in the distribution of the social determinants of health between "fomierly-Bastogi" and the surrounding areas. Results. The area under study appears to be isolated from the surrounding urban space, both because of social and architectural factors. This situation could have some association with inhabitants' health. Conclusions. If our preliminary investigation was useful for a diagnosis of the situation, a more complete - qualitative and quantitative- investigation of the context will be needed to plan appropriate multidisciplinary health promoting interventions.