OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether education of primary care professionals improved functional ability in home-dwelling older people, with special focus on gender differences. DESIGN: A prospective controlled three-year follow-up study (1999 to 2001) with randomisation and intervention at municipality level and outcomes measured at individual level. Intervention municipality visitors received regular education and GPs were introduced to a short assessment programme. Control municipalities received no education but conducted the preventive programme in their own way. SETTING: Primary care, 34 municipalities. SUBJECTS: 5,788 home-dwelling 75- and 80-year-olds were invited. 4,060 (70.1%) participated: 2,104 in 17 intervention- and 1956 in 17 matched control-municipalities. The main outcome measure was obtained from 3,383 (95.6%) of 3,540 surviving participants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Functional ability. RESULTS: Municipality intervention in coordination with GPs was associated with better functional ability in women (OR 1.26; CI 95 1.08 to 1.47, p = 0.004), but not in men (OR 1.04; CI 95 1.85 to 1.27). Accepting and receiving free preventive home visits was associated with better functional ability among women (OR 1.36; CI 95 1.16 to 1.60, p = 0.0002), but not among men (OR 0.98; CI 95: 0.80 to 1.21). CONCLUSION: A brief, feasible educational intervention for primary care professionals and to accept and receive preventive home visits may have effect in older women, but not in older men.

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