Personal characteristics associated with individual degree of family function in residents of Rumoi City, Hokkaido

Background: We assessed the association of personal factors with Family APGAR not only among the subjects in nonsingle households, but also in single households.

Methods: We randomly chose 1 000 persons aged from 50 to 89 years in Rumoi City of the west area of Hokkaido as study candidates, and 493 subjects responded to the survey. We compared the group of high Family APGAR (FA) score of more than or equal to seven with the group of low FA score of less than or equal to 6 with regard to health-related QOL (HRQOL), measured with SF-8, Index of Social interaction (ISI), and other personal characteristics. Being in the low FA group indicates living with a status of poor family function.

Results: As a result of the multivariate logistic regression model, living in single households, currently smoking, a low score of mental component summary (MCS) in HRQOL, and a low score of lSI were all significantly associated with being in the low FA group. A low score of MCS was significantly associated with being in the low FA group both in the stratum of nonsingle households, and in the stratum of single households.

Conclusions: There were three risk factors of low FA. The first is a single household, second is currently smoking in a nonsingle household, and the third is low ISI. Worse mental status is found to be associated with low FA among the subjects not only in nonsingle households, but also in single households.