[Functional capacity of elder people from a rural community of Rio Grande do Sul]

Cross-sectional study, conducted with 34 elder people from a rural community of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in 2008. The objective is to evaluate their functional capacity and to compare interest variables between sexes. The household survey addressed social, economic and demographic variables, aspects related to health/disease, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Scale of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) of the Older American Resources and Services (OARS). Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Compared to men, women were more likely to be more educated, have less community activities, have similar MEEM scores, worst health perception and were more dependent to perform ADL. The peculiarities of rural elder persons are highlighted, as well the need to tailor actions to promote their adaptability in this context and allow the minimization of disabilities.