Introduction: Nowadays aging and disability arising from it, is considered as one of the most important concerns of human societies because life expectancy has increased due to increasing public health and hygiene and the percentage of people who reach to old age is extremely going up. On the other hand, the percentage of elderly population to total population with falling birth rate and thus reducing the population growth has increased. According to this fact, considering to stay healthy and having a healthy old age has become a priority, otherwise high costs arising from disability and treatment of it , would be imposed on society. This study, aimed to determine the age of onset of disability and causes of it in elderly people, was done to help the custodians of hygiene and public health to do targeted efforts to delay the age of onset of disability and eliminate its causes.

Objective: This study, aimed to determine the age of onset of disability and causes of it in elderly people, was done to help the custodians of hygiene and public health to do targeted efforts to delay the age of onset of disability and eliminate its causes.

Materials and methods: In this descriptive , analytical and cross-sectional study all elderly people of Hospice of disabled and elderly people of Rasht (201 persons) were be counted and investigated in March 2015.Receips card in library studies and questionnaire and interview in the field part were data gathering tools. Data were analyzed by statistical software SPSS 18 and descriptive and inferential statistics indicators.

Results: this study showed that in both mobility and marital status there were significant differences in age at onset of disability between individuals with or without these features as the average age of onset of disabled people with low and very low mobility were 69.5 and in people with high and very high mobility were 76.1, and the average age of onset of disability in singles (celibates) were 68.9 and in married with children were 75.7. There were also differences in age of onset of disability in other features, although not significant, they could not be easily ignored.

Conclusion: According to the result of this study, all individuals in the society must be informed with clear proposals particularly in the fields of mobility and marital status about the benefits of physical activity and its role in reducing disability during old age by custodians of relevant organizations.

Conflict of interest: none declared.