Family situation of primary care patients – evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Family Apgar Questionnaire

Background
The functioning of the family within the concept of family-centered care (FCC ) is an important issue in primary care. Understanding of the functioning of the patient’s family system is necessary to ensure effective care. The Family Apgar Questionnaire allows one to determine the family situation of those examined.

Objectives
Assessment of the family situation of primary care patients using the Family Apgar Questionnaire and determination of its credibility in primary care in Poland.

Material and methods
The study was conducted on a group of 154 primary care patients. The study used the Family Apgar Questionnaire and own questions about socio-demographic, disease and family factors. The reliability of the Family Apgar Scale was assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient.

Results
Almost 26% of the respondents had disorders in the family system. Serious family dysfunction was detected in 1 patient, whereas in over 73%, there were no significant disturbances in the family system. Family situation was significantly related to the overall result of the Family Apgar Scale. The Family Apgar Questionnaire was shown to have high reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha > 0.81).

Conclusions
The subjective assessment of the functioning of the family of primary care patients was at good level. The reliability coefficient of measurements indicates the right choice of questions and high consistency in responses to individual questions. The Family Apgar Questionnaire is a reliable tool for detecting disorders in the family system, which can be used in primary care in Poland.