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/mm. 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.