<p><b>OBJECTIVE:</b> This study aimed to investigate self-perceived health among a sample of institutionalized and a sample of community-dwelling elderly in two cities of the São Paulo State, Brazil: Bauru and Botucatu.<br> <b>METHODS:</b> Ninety-five elderly individuals from ten long-term care homes from Bauru, SP and Botucatu, SP and 101 community-dwelling elderly users of three centers for the elderly in Bau...