[Health profile of the elderly in Brazil: analysis of the 2003 National Household Sample Survey using the Grade of Membership method].

The aim of this study was to identify functional disability and health profiles of the elderly in Brazil, as well as their prevalence rates, based on the National Household Sample Survey for 2003. The sample size was 33,786 elderly individuals. Grade of Membership was used to define the profiles: "healthy elderly" (Profile 1), whose pure types had a lower probability of disability and chronic illness; "elderly with mild functional disability" (Profile 2), whose pure types had mainly hypertension and lower back problems and were independent in activities of daily living, although with high difficulty in mobility; and "elderly with severe disability" (Profile 3), with higher probability of chronic illness, high difficulty with activities of daily living, and high dependency in terms of mobility. In conclusion, the profiles indicate that a consistent approach to functional disability is essential for promoting the health of the elderly.