[Gender differences in the elderly]

Qualitative study that aimed at investigating present and decisive gender subjects of health and elder people's life quality. The subjects were 20 (twenty) seniors of the Programa Terceira Idade em Ação-PTIA. The semi-structured interview was used as data collection technique. From the speeches, information that answered the investigation inquietudes emerged and they made possible the formulation of three analysis categories. In the first, it stood out the low self-esteem lived by the men when they age, otherwise in the second one it was evidenced the autonomy and the freedom conquered by the senior women, and in the third category the learning happened among the old ladies who participated of PTIA. Concluding that there is influence of the gender subjects in health and life quality in aging.