Family function patterns, and associated socioeconomic variables – a survey study of members of rural Egyptian families attending family medicine centers affiliated to Suez Canal University

Abstract

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) is a key factor that impact the family functioning. Results from previous studies demonstrated that low SES status was associated with less satisfaction in several areas of family functioning. Objectives: To describe the family function status patterns and associated socioeconomic status variables in a rural sample of Egyptian families. Subjects and methods: This study was carried out as a cross-sectional survey in a three rural Family Medicine Centres, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt in November 2022. An estimated total sample size of 164 participants was included. Each participant was interviewed to complete an Arabic version of Apgar questionnaire for the family function status assessment and the scale of socioeconomic status for health research in Egypt in sequence. Results: Eighty-two families representing 48.2% were in middle SES grade, 79 families representing 46.5% were in low SES grade, 9 families representing 5.3% were in very low SES grade, and 0 (0%) were in high SES grade. The family function status categories showed 43.5% of families were in highly functional category,49.4% were in moderately dysfunctional category, and 7.1% were in severely dysfunctional category. Mean score SES for the highly functional families was significantly different from the moderately dysfunctional families; 44.35 ± 11.28 (SD) vs 38.68 ± 11.09 (SD), respectively. Total SES score, education, and culture domain of SES scale showed a statistically significant positive moderate correlation with family function status total score (r 0.215, P< 0.005, r 0.225, P < 0.003). Conclusions: More than fifty percent of rural Egyptian families in this study lie in low, and very low SES status. Socioeconomic status score of highly functional families was significantly higher than the score of moderately dysfunctional families. SES score, and education, and culture domain showed a significant positive moderate correlation with the family function status score.