Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effect of physical performance levels of elderly living in rural and urban areas on social participation, social functioning, and quality of life.

Method: A total of 418 volunteer elderly aged 65 and over living in rural (42.3%) and urban (57.7%) areas participated in this study. The Mini-Mental State Examination, Short Physical Performance Battery, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale for Older Adults, Leisure Time subscale of the Social Functioning Scale and the Community Integration Questionnaire were applied to participants.

Inclusion Criteria:

• individuals over the age of 65 years who received a score of ≥24 from the Mini-Mental State Examination were included in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• elderly who were unable to communicate verbally, were unable to move independently, had undergone any operations in the last 6 months, had been diagnosed with cancer, or had severe vision loss, stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, or other neurological diseases were excluded from the study

This study was carried out with the participation of elderly residing in the provinces of Isparta, Burdur, and Antalya in the Mediterranean region of Turkey