Social participation in the context of healthy aging has been promoted internationally since the early 2000s. It is part of a broader effort to prevent illness and promote health. Within a comprehensive and positive approach to aging, it is the combination of several factors that forms the basis of "healthy aging" (an aging process that promotes an individual’s health, as defined by the World Health Organization—WHO). This involves the prevention of chronic diseases, the optimal maintenance of cognitive and physical functioning, engagement in life and social participation, as well as a supportive environment.