Family Dinner Frequency Research Articles

Family Dinners, Communication, and Mental Health in Canadian Adolescents

To examine the association between the frequency of family dinners and positive and negative dimensions of mental health in adolescents and to determine whether this association is explained by the quality of communication between adolescents and parents. A community sample of 26,069 adolescents (aged 11 to 15 years) participated in the 2010 Canadian Health Behaviour of School-aged Children study. Adolescents gave self-report data on the weekly frequency of family dinners, ease of parent-adolescent communication, and five dimensions of mental health (internalizing and externalizing problems, emotional well-being, prosocial behavior, and life satisfaction). Regression analyses tested relations between family dinners, parent-adolescent communication, and mental health. The frequency of family dinners negatively related to internalizing and externalizing symptoms and positively related to emotional well-being, prosocial behavior, and life satisfaction. These associations did not interact with differences in gender, grade level, or family affluence. However, hierarchical regression analyses found that these associations were partially mediated by differences in parent-adolescent communication, which explained 13% to 30% of the effect of family dinners on mental health, depending on the outcome. These findings, though correlational, revealed a dose-response association between the frequency of family dinners and positive and negative dimensions of adolescent mental health. The ease of communication between parents and adolescents accounted for some of this association.

Family Meals and Child Academic and Behavioral Outcomes

This study investigates the link between the frequency of family breakfasts and dinners and child academic and behavioral outcomes in a panel sample of 21,400 children aged 5-15. It complements previous work by examining younger and older children separately and by using information on a large number of controls and rigorous analytic methods to discern whether there is causal relation between family meal frequency (FMF) and child outcomes. In child fixed-effects models, which controlled for unchanging aspects of children and their families, there were no significant (p<.05) relations between FMF and either academic or behavioral outcomes, a novel finding. These results were robust to various specifications of the FMF variables and did not differ by child age.

Are Soda-Swilling Teens More Apt to Be Violent?

Are Soda-Swilling Teens More Apt to Be Violent?

Variables Associated With Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Adolescents

To assess individual, social, and family environmental factors related to fruit and vegetable intake among white and black adolescents aged 11-15 years (n=736). Self-report questionnaire. Preferences, availability at home, family dinner frequency, snack choice, self-efficacy, modeling, normative beliefs, and social outcome expectations were significant associates of fruit and vegetable intake. Multivariate models indicated that these associations varied by categories of intake. Availability was the most consistent associate whereas fruit preference, availability, family dinner frequency, and self-efficacy were the strongest associates. Results highlight the important influence of the family environment on fruit and vegetable intake.

Using Social Marketing to Understand the Family Dinner with Working Mothers

The family dinner is a valued tradition that affords opportunities for social interaction and attachment, as well as sharing events of the day, role modeling, connectedness, and problem solving. Guided by the social-marketing framework, this study explored factors associated with the frequency of the family dinner among working mothers with children ages 8–11 years. A qualitative design was used, employing focus groups and Atlas-ti software for thematic analysis. Lack of time, cost, and exhaustion/lack of energy emerged as barriers. Working mothers indicated that a youth-based organization operating as a community partner could increase the frequency of the family dinner by helping with homework completion during after-school care, thereby providing mothers with the time necessary to prepare dinner. This research identified both community partners and working mothers as valued resources for prevention strategies. Interventions developed to increase family dinner frequency should emphasize the perceived value while decreasing the costs/barriers.

Role of risk and protective factors in risky sexual behavior among high school students in Cambodia

BackgroundIn many developing countries, adolescents have become increasingly prone to engage in habitual risky sexual behavior such as early sexual initiation and unprotected sex. The objective of this study was to identify the operation of risk and protective factors in individual, family, peer, school, and community domains in predicting risky sexual behavior among male and female adolescents in Cambodia.MethodsFrom October 2007 to January 2008, we collected data from 1,049 students aged 14 to 20 years. Risky sexual behavior was measured using a scale consisting of four items: sexual intercourse during the past three months, number of sex partners during the past three months, age at first experience of sexual intercourse, and use of condom in last sexual intercourse. The risk factors examined included substance use, depression, peer delinquency, family violence, and community violence. Studied protective factors included family support function, frequency of family dinner, and school attachment.ResultsOf the 1,049 students surveyed, 12.7% reported sexual intercourse during the past three months. Out of those sexually active students, 34.6% reported having two or more sex partners over the same period, and 52.6% did not use a condom during their last sexual intercourse. After controlling for other covariates, a higher likelihood of risky sexual behavior remained significantly associated among male participants with higher levels of substance use, higher levels of peer delinquency, and higher family income. In contrast, risky sexual behavior did not retain its associations with any of the measured protective factors among male participants. Among female participants, a higher likelihood of risky sexual behavior remained significantly associated with higher levels of substance use, higher levels of community-violence witnessing, and lower levels of family support.ConclusionsThe findings suggest the importance of considering gender-related differences in the effects of risk and protective factors when designing and implementing prevention programs. In interventions for both male and female adolescents, prevention of substance use and risky sexual behavior should be integrated. For boys, efforts should focus on the reduction of peer delinquency, while, for girls, improvement of family support should be emphasized.

Healthy eating index-C is positively associated with family dinner frequency among students in grades 6–8 from Southern Ontario, Canada

Unhealthy eating behaviours may contribute to the rising prevalence of childhood obesity in Canada. The purpose of this study was to describe family dinner frequency (FDF) and its associations with overall diet quality. The sample included grades six (n=372), seven (n=429) and eight (n=487) students from Southern Ontario. Data were collected with the Food Behaviour Questionnaire, including a single 24-h dietary recall and questions about individual meals. Diet quality was calculated using the Healthy Eating Index-C (HEI-C), which is a recently modified diet quality index. The majority of participants (65%) reported frequent family dinner meals (6-7 days/week versus 20% on 3-5 days/week and 15% on 0-2 days/week). Diet quality scores were higher among participants reporting 6-7 dinners/week (HEI-C=66.2 versus 62.1 and 62.8 for 0-2 and 3-5 days/week, respectively, P<0.001). Adjusted models reported that diet quality scores were also associated with whom participants consumed breakfast (P<0.001), lunch (P<0.001) and dinner (P<0.001), yet they were most strongly associated (negatively) with participants who skipped the meal altogether. Increased family dinner meals were positively associated with daily diet quality and negatively associated with breakfast and lunch skipping. Promoting family dinner meals in healthy living intervention strategies is advised.

Longitudinal associations between family dinner and adolescent perceptions of parent–child communication among racially diverse urban youth.

We examined changes in adolescent self-reported parent-child communication using growth curve models conditional on family meal frequency over a 3.5-year period among a population of racially diverse, low-income adolescents from an urban environment (n = 4,750). Results indicated that although both family dinner frequency and adolescent perceptions of parent-child communication scores were characterized by negative linear growth over time (both p < .001), family dinner frequency was positively associated with adolescent perceptions of parent-child communication scores over time (p < .001). Study findings suggest that families with teenagers may enhance parent-child communication and ultimately promote healthy adolescent development by making family dinner a priority. In addition, the communication benefits of family dinner at the beginning of sixth grade may be protective through eighth grade.

Are There Nutritional and Other Benefits Associated with Family Meals Among At-Risk Youth?

The literature suggests positive associations between family dinner frequency and dietary practices and psychosocial well-being, and inverse associations between family dinner frequency and overweight status among general adolescent populations. The present study aims to examine these associations among a population of adolescents at-risk of academic failure. A racially diverse sample of adolescents (n = 145, 52% male, 61% nonwhite) from six alternative high schools (AHS) completed surveys and had their heights and weights measured by trained research staff. Mixed-model logistic regression analyses assessed associations between family dinner frequency and overweight status, healthy and unhealthy weight management, and food insecurity, whereas mixed linear models assessed associations with breakfast consumption, fruit and vegetable consumption, high-fat food intake, fast food intake, substance use, and depressive symptoms. Analyses adjusted for race/ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and the random effect of school. Family dinner frequency was positively associated with breakfast consumption and fruit intake (p < .01 and p < .05, respectively), and inversely associated with depressive symptoms (p < .05). Adolescents who reported never eating family dinner were significantly more likely to be overweight (odds ratio [OR] = 2.8, confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-6.9) and food insecure (OR = 6.0, CI = 2.2-16.4) than adolescents who reported five to seven family meals per week. In this at-risk sample of youth, some, but not all of the benefits of family meals found in other studies were apparent. Intervention programs to increase the availability and affordability of healthful foods and promote family meals for families of AHS students may be beneficial.

The relationship between frequency of family dinner and adolescent problem behaviors after adjusting for other family characteristics

Objective To examine the association between frequency of family dinners (FFD) and selected problem behaviors for adolescents after adjusting for family connectedness, parental awareness, other family activities, and other potentially confounding factors. Methods Data are drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997. The primary variable of interest is self-reported FFD in a typical week. Problem behaviors studied are substance-use, physical violence, property-destruction, stealing, running away from home, andgang membership. Multivariate logistic models are estimated for each behaviors. Linear regression models are estimated for behavior-frequency for the sub-samples engaging in them. Analysis is done separately by gender. Results FFD is negatively associated with substance-use and running away for females; drinking, physical violence, property-destruction, stealing and running away for males. Conclusion Family meals are negatively associated to certain problem behaviors for adolescents even after controlling rigorously for potentially confounding factors. Thus, programs that promote family meals are beneficial.

Associations Between Family Dinner Frequency and Specific Food Behaviors Among Grade Six, Seven, and Eight Students from Ontario and Nova Scotia

Purpose Family dinner frequency has recently been associated in the literature with improved dietary profiles and healthy body weight in children and adolescents. However, it is not known whether family dinners are associated with other commonly reported food behaviors (fast food and soft drink consumption, breakfast skipping, and dieting) and attitudes (body weight concerns and self-efficacy for healthy eating) among Canadian students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Methods A total of 3223 participants from Northern Ontario (Porcupine Region), Southern Ontario (Peel Region, Region of Waterloo, Toronto District), and Nova Scotia completed the Food Behavior Questionnaire during the 2005–2006 academic school year. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were used to determine the associations between family dinner frequency and food behaviors and attitudes. Results Higher family dinner frequency was significantly associated with less soft drink consumption, consuming breakfast on the day of the survey, the absence of a high body weight concern, having higher self-efficacy for healthy eating when at home with family, and during social times with friends. Conclusions Researchers and clinicians should be aware of these associations when planning family based healthy eating strategies.

Workplace factors associated with family dinner behaviors

This study investigated relationships between workplace factors and family dinners. We examined two aspects of the family dinner, the frequency that the entire family typically has dinner together each week and the frequency that children eat fast food for dinner. Participants were 220 parents who worked at least 20 h a week and had at least one child living at home. Results indicated that work interference with family (WIF) mediated the relationship between family-supportive supervision and family dinner frequency. Greater flexplace (i.e., telecommuting) availability was associated with less frequent use of fast food for children’s dinner.

Family Dinner: More than Just a Meal

Recent research has focused on family meals, specifically dinner, as an opportunity to improve diet and the health of both children and adolescents. A handful of investigators have provided the basic research that has brought family dinner into the forefront of prescriptions for healthy diets of families. Gillman and colleagues ( 1 Gillman M.W. Rifas-Shiman S.L. Frazier A.L. Rockett H.R. Camargo Jr, C.A. Field A.E. Berkey C.S. Colditz G.A. Family dinner and diet quality among older children and adolescents. Arch Fam Med. 2000; 9: 235-240 Google Scholar ) and Neumark-Sztainer and colleagues ( 2 Neumark-Sztainer D. Hannan P.J. Story M. Croll J. Perry C. Family meal patterns: Associations with sociodemographic characteristics and improved dietary intake among adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003; 103: 317-322 Google Scholar ) analyzed diets of boys and girls and both found an association of frequency of family dinner and healthful diets. Taveras and colleagues ( 3 Taveras E.M. Rifas-Shiman S.L. Berkey C.S. Rockett H.R.H. Field A.E. Frazier A.L. Colditz G.A. Gillman M.W. Family dinner and adolescent overweight. Obes Res. 2005; 13: 900-906 Google Scholar ) then examined data for associations of family dinner with overweight status (body mass index >85th percentile for age and sex based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards). An inverse association with the cross-sectional analysis was found, but the longitudinal analysis was null ( 3 Taveras E.M. Rifas-Shiman S.L. Berkey C.S. Rockett H.R.H. Field A.E. Frazier A.L. Colditz G.A. Gillman M.W. Family dinner and adolescent overweight. Obes Res. 2005; 13: 900-906 Google Scholar ). In the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, Sen ( 4 Sen B. Frequency of family dinner and adolescent body weight status: Evidence from the national longitudinal survey of youth, 1997. Obesity. 2006; 14: 2266-2276 Google Scholar ) found an association among white participants between frequency of family dinner and overweight status; however, no such association was found among African Americans or Hispanics. In addition, Fulkerson and colleagues ( 5 Fulkerson J.A. Story M. Mellin A. Leffert N. Neumark-Sztainer D. French S.A. Family dinner meal frequency and adolescent development: Relationships with developmental assets and high-risk behaviors. J Adolesc Health. 2006; 39: 337-345 Google Scholar ) surveyed almost 100,000 students (6th to 12th grades [ages 11 to 19 years], 86% white) across the United States and found a consistent positive association between frequency of family dinner and developmental assets (family support, peer influence, boundaries, and expectations) and an inverse association with high-risk behaviors. In a survey of participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children regarding family meals and their environment, there was the suggestion that television viewing during dinner could undo the positive effects of sitting down with family ( 6 Fitzpatrick E. Edmunds L.S. Dennison B.A. Positive effects of family dinner are undone by television viewing. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007; 107: 666-671 Google Scholar ). Family dinner may be one of the buffer systems that help parents to guide children and adolescents through the world’s many unhealthful situations, but a review of the specifics is necessary before making recommendations. H. R. H. Rockett is a nutrition research manager, Channing Laboratory, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA.

Frequency of Family Dinner and Adolescent Body Weight Status: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997

To explore associations between overweight status and the frequency of family dinners (FFD) for adolescents and how those associations differ across race and ethnicity. A sample of 5014 respondents between 12 and 15 years of age from the 1997 wave of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) was used. BMI was calculated using self-reported height and weight; 13.3% of respondents qualified as overweight, 16.4% qualified as at-risk-of-overweight, and 1.9% qualified as underweight. The remainder were normal weight. FFD was defined as the number of times respondents had dinner with their families in a typical week in the past year. Multinomial logistic regression models were estimated separately for non-Hispanic whites vs. blacks and Hispanics for odds of belonging to the other weight categories compared with normal weight. A supplementary longitudinal analysis estimated the odds of change in overweight status between 1997 and 2000. In 1997, the FFD distribution was as follows: 0, 8.3%; 1 or 2, 7.3%; 3 or 4, 13.4%; 5 or 6, 28.1%; 7, 42%. For whites, higher FFD was associated with reduced odds of being overweight in 1997, reduced odds of becoming overweight, and increased odds of ceasing to be overweight by 2000. No such associations were found for blacks and Hispanics. Reasons for racial and ethnic differences in the relationship between FFD and overweight may include differences in the types and portions of food consumed at family meals. More research is needed to verify this.

Family Dinner Meal Frequency and Adolescent Development: Relationships with Developmental Assets and High-Risk Behaviors

Purpose To examine associations between family meal frequency and developmental assets and high-risk behaviors among a national sample of adolescents. Methods Anonymous surveys were distributed to 99,462 sixth to 12th grade students from public and alternative schools in 213 cities and 25 states across the United States. Logistic regression analyses tested differences in assets and high-risk behaviors by family dinner frequency. Results Consistent positive associations were found between the frequency of family dinners and all developmental assets, including both external (e.g., support, boundaries and expectations; odds ratio [OR] 2.1–3.7) and internal assets (e.g., commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, and positive identity; OR 1.8–2.6); relationships were attenuated, but remained significant after adjusting for demographics and general family communication and support. Consistent inverse relationships were found between the frequency of family dinners and all high-risk behaviors measured (i.e., substance use, sexual activity, depression/suicide, antisocial behaviors, violence, school problems, binge eating/purging, and excessive weight loss; OR .36–.58), relationships were attenuated, but remained significant after adjusting for demographics and family factors. Conclusions The findings of the present study suggest that the frequency of family dinner is an external developmental asset or protective factor that may curtail high-risk behaviors among youth. Creative and realistic strategies for enhancing and supporting family meals, given the context within which different families live, should be explored to promote healthy adolescent development. Family rituals such as regular mealtimes may ease the stress of daily living in the fast-paced families of today’s society.

Family Dinner and Adolescent Overweight

The purpose of this study was to examine both cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between frequency of family dinner and overweight status in a large sample of 9- to 14-year-old children. We studied a cohort of 7784 girls and 6647 boys, 9 to 14 years of age at baseline in 1996, participating in the Growing Up Today Study. From annual mailed surveys, we calculated BMI from self-reported height and weight and assessed frequency of family dinner over the previous year. We defined "overweight" as age- and sex-specific BMI >85th percentile. We performed multiple logistic regression analyses; the longitudinal analyses assessed the association of previous year family dinner consumption with 1-year incidence of becoming overweight, using prospective data from 1996 through 1999. At baseline in 1996, 16% of participants had family dinner "never or some days," 40% on "most days," and 44% "every day." Across these categories, overweight prevalence for girls was 19.4%, 16.6%, and 16.7% and for boys was 24.6%, 23.3%, and 22.7%, respectively. In cross-sectional analyses, adjusting for potential confounders, the odds of being overweight was 0.85 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.76, 0.96] among children who ate family dinner on "most days" or "every day" compared with those who ate family dinner "never or some days." In longitudinal multivariate models, the odds ratios between previous year frequency of eating family dinner and 1-year incidence of becoming overweight were 0.95 (95% CI: 0.78, 1.16) and 1.04 (95% CI: 0.85, 1.27) for children who ate family dinner on "most days" and "every day," respectively, compared with those who ate family dinner "never or some days." The frequency of eating family dinner was inversely associated with overweight prevalence at baseline but not with likelihood of becoming overweight in longitudinal analyses.

Factors of Fruit and Vegetable Intake by Race, Gender, and Age among Young Adolescents

Objective To explore demographic differences in individual, social, and environmental factors potentially related to fruit and vegetable intake. Design Self-report questionnaires administered to a convenience sample of middle school students during regular classes. Participants Black and white adolescents, 11 to 15 years of age (N = 736). Variables Measured Measures included self-efficacy, family dinner frequency, normative beliefs, outcome expectations, modeling, availability, preferences, snack choice, and demographics. Analysis Chi-square, general linear models, and Poisson and linear regressions as appropriate. Results Black participants reported greater social influences than did white participants, whereas white adolescents reported greater family environmental influences on fruit and vegetable intake. The oldest adolescents reported lower self-efficacy, peer modeling, family dinner frequency, and fruit and vegetable preferences compared with younger adolescents. White participants and females reported a higher preference for vegetables than did black participants and males. Regression models for self-efficacy and snack choice explained 41% and 34% of the variance, respectively. Preferences for vegetables and parental modeling were the strongest correlates of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was the strongest correlate of snack choice. Conclusions and Implications Decreases in several factors with age highlight the importance of intervention for this age group. Future research is needed for a better understanding of the formation and modification of self-efficacy and snack choice.

Family dinner and diet quality among older children and adolescents.

The proportion of children eating dinner with their families declines with age and has decreased over time. Few data exist concerning the nutritional effect of eating family dinner. To examine the associations between frequency of eating dinner with family and measures of diet quality. Cross-sectional. A national convenience sample. There were 8677 girls and 7525 boys in the study, aged 9 to 14 years, who were children of the participants in the ongoing Nurses' Health Study II. We collected data from a self-administered mailed survey, including food and nutrient intakes from a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Main outcome measures included servings per day of selected foods and food groups, daily intakes of selected macronutrients and micronutrients, and frequency of multivitamin use. Approximately 17% of participants ate dinner with members of their family never or some days, 40% on most days, and 43% every day. More than half of the 9-year-olds ate family dinner every day, whereas only about one third of 14-year-olds did so. In age- and sex-adjusted logistic regression models, the odds ratios associated with a frequency of family dinner of most days compared with never or some days, or every day compared with most days, were as follows: for eating at least 5 servings per day of fruits and vegetables, 1.45 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37-1.53); for eating any fried foods away from home, 0.67 (95% CI, 0.64-0.70); and for drinking any soda, 0.73 (95% CI, 0.66-0.80). Multiple linear regression showed that an increased frequency of family dinner was also associated with substantially higher intake of several nutrients, including fiber, calcium, folate, iron, vitamins B6, B12, C, and E; lower glycemic load; and lower intake of saturated and trans fat as a percentage of energy. We observed little or no effect on intakes of whole dairy products, red meat, or snack foods. Patterns were similar for boys and girls. Eating family dinner was associated with healthful dietary intake patterns, including more fruits and vegetables, less fried food and soda, less saturated and trans fat, lower glycemic load, more fiber and micronutrients from food, and no material differences in red meat or snack foods.