Family meals and adolescent perceptions of parent–child connectedness

Abstract

Affirming parent–child interactions, leading to Parent–Child Connectedness (PCC), may provide protective factors that support positive adolescent behaviors and health outcomes; shared family meals are thought to reinforce these interactions. Eight hundred and fifty-five adolescents, ages 9–13, attending six health education centers in the US were surveyed regarding their attitudes about selected interactions they share with their parents. This study used the variables of frequency of parent–child communication, feeling loved by parents, perceived emotional support, time spent with parents, and parental involvement in school to operationalize PCC. With the exception of gender, family structure, and parental involvement at school, all construct variables were positively associated with frequency of family meals. The results of this study expand understanding of the association of family meals with PCC by investigating the influence of family constellation on PCC, whether PCC varies by caregiver and inquiring about the child’s satisfaction with or desire for alterations in these interactions.