Family APGAR and treatment outcomes among HIV patients at two ART Centres in Kumasi, Ghana.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between Family Adaptability, Partnership, Growth, Affection and Resolve (Family APGAR) and HIV treatment outcomes.

Design: A cross-sectional study using the Family APGAR questionnaire.

Setting: The study was conducted in Kumasi, Ghana, at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Hospital.

Participants: Consenting HIV-positive patients who had been on treatment for at least 12 months were recruited.

Main outcome measures: The Family APGAR questionnaire was administered, and relevant data were extracted from hospital records and analysed using STATA^® software. The relationship between Family APGAR and treatment outcomes was determined using Chi-squared tests or Fisher's exact test.

Results: Approximately 70.1% of 304 participants were females with a mean age of 41.8 years (±9.9). At treatment initiation, 47.4% of the patients presented at World Health Organisation (WHO) clinical stages I and II and had a CD4 count ≥ 200 cells/mm³. Females were less likely (Odds Ratio= 0.52; 95% CI=0.31 - 0.90, p = 0.018) to report late for treatment compared with the males. After 12 months of treatment, approximately 70% recorded undetectable viral load. Patients with functional families constituted 70.4%, which had a statistically significant relationship with viral load (p = 0.041).

Conclusion: HIV care providers should incorporate family functionality evaluation into clinical practice and provide early essential support to enhance treatment outcomes.

Funding: None declared.