Abstract
ObjectiveThis study evaluated the influence of family meal frequency on the occurrence of common mental disorders (CMD) in children and adolescents over eight months of follow-up.DesignData from this longitudinal study were derived from the PAAPAS—Parents, Students, Community Health Agents, and Teachers for Healthy Eating—community trial. CMD were evaluated using the General Health Questionnaire. Frequency of family meals (breakfast and dinner) was categorized as “breakfast and dinner regularly with the family”, “at least breakfast or dinner regularly with the family”, and “does not have any meal regularly with the family.” The effect of family meal frequency on CMD was analyzed using generalized estimation equations with log-binomial models for repeated measures.SettingThis study was conducted in public schools (N = 18) of Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016.ParticipantsChildren (aged 9–11 years) and adolescents (aged 12–17 years) from the fifth and sixth grades (N = 2,743).ResultsThese findings suggested that regular family meals were a protective factor for mental health. The adjusted relative risk of CMD was 0.75 (95% confidence interval = 0.69–0.83) for those who had two family meals regularly and 0.87 (95% confidence interval = 0.77–0.97) for those who had only one regular family meal, compared to students who had no regular family meals.ConclusionsPotential strategies that educate and encourage families about the mental health benefits of eating regular meals together must be explored and implemented.
Highlights
Mental disorders mainly include non-psychotic mental disorders (90%) [1], such as mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders [2]
Children and adolescents from the fifth and sixth grades (N = 2,743). These findings suggested that regular family meals were a protective factor for mental health
This study evaluated the influence of family meal frequency on the occurrence of common mental disorders (CMD) in schoolchildren and adolescents over eight months of follow-up
Summary
Mental disorders mainly include non-psychotic mental disorders (90%) [1], such as mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders [2]. Given the high prevalence of such conditions in the general population, they are called common mental disorders (CMD) [2,3,4,5]. A meta-analysis was performed to summarize the prevalence of CMD in adolescents worldwide (10 to 19 years old) and a total of 43 studies were included. In Brazil, some studies have been devoted to assessing the prevalence of CMD in this age group, finding a range of about 20–30% [4, 9,10,11]. At the end of childhood and adolescence, which are vulnerable periods involving important biological and social changes, CMD might affect academic performance, affective relationships, and potential initial traits of more severe mental disorders [4]. Some risk factors for CMD in children and adolescents described over time include the absence of a structured home, violence, early maternity/ paternity, and conditions of extreme poverty [2, 12, 13]
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