The most important question in family approach: the potential of the resolve item of the family APGAR in family medicine

BACKGROUND: We aimed to clarify what aspects of family function are measured by the Family APGAR by examining its correlations with the fourth edition of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale at Kwansei Gakuin (FACESKG IV). Furthermore, we sought to confirm the usefulness of the Family APGAR in general practice. METHODS: We recruited 250 patients (aged 13–76 years) from the general medicine outpatient clinic in a Japanese hospital between July 1999 and February 2000. We employed a cross-sectional design and administered the Family APGAR and the FACESKG IV-16 (i.e., the short version). The scores on the questionnaires were compared using correlation and multiple regression analyses. We then analyzed relationships between the questionnaires and family issues measures using Chi square, Mann–Whitney U, and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The Family APGAR partially evaluates the Cohesion dimension of family functioning as measured by the FACESKG IV-16. Furthermore, we could measure family disengagement using the resolve and partnership items of the Family APGAR. Family dysfunction (excessive or impoverished Adaptability or Cohesion) was not related to the presence of family issues. Nevertheless, there was a significant relationship between scores on the Resolve item and the family issues measure (χ(2) = 6.305, p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: The Family APGAR, especially the Resolve item, has the potential for use in treating patients with family issues. Interventions could be developed according to the simple Family APGAR responses. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12930-016-0028-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.