Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the chronic disease, health status and lifestyle, and to test the chronic disease and health status and lifestyle of rural elderly by gender. Method: The interview survey was performed in September 2004 with structured questionnaires(Scale of Long-Term Health and Welfare Need Survey) to 770 of the elderly who lived in Muan-Gun of Chunnam Province. The percentage, Chi-squire test and regression method were used for some of the cross-sectional data. Results: The 770 elderly respondents were composed of 51.3% male and 48.7% female. 59.1% of the elderly had chronic disease. About the subjective health status that 54.3% of the respondents have been answered not good health status, 87.9% of the respondents have been health examination. The related variables of chronic disease and general characteristics were education and religious level in male, age, marital status, type of social security, education and religious level in female, and health status variables were subjective health status, cognitive function, ADL, IADL, and lifestyle factors was exercise in male, examination in female. Conclusion: These results suggested that special health promotion and education programs of the health habits such as physical exercise and health examination were necessities for the elderly of rural area.