Socio‐economic and education determinants have a big impact on health outcomes, in terms of worse health status in populations living in more disadvantaged conditions. Social capital, self‐management and health literacy are some of the intermediate determinants, with the potential to mitigate health inequalities through interventions driven by local health agents. These three determinants are intensely interlinked and have, separately, impacts on self‐perceived health. Social capital is defined in this project as an umbrella concept, which includes quantitative aspects of social resources (structural social capital: social networks and contacts, social and civic participation) as well as qualitative or subjective aspects (cognitive social capital: perceived social support, feeling of belonging and trust) and covers relations between subjects at a micro or individual level (family and friends) as well as at a macro or community level. Health literacy is understood as cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to, understand and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health. Both are key aspects for self‐management behaviours. The target of our research project are older people living in urban socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, since ageing is in itself an inequality axis and urban environments concentrate the highest health disparities.