Regular Family Meals Research Articles

Family meals on prescription as treatment for childhood obesity-a randomized controlled trial.

The aim with the present study was to evaluate the effects and tolerability of Family Meals on Prescription, a 3-month intensive dietary intervention with a participatory approach on body mass index (BMI) and metabolic health in children living with obesity. In this prospective randomized controlled trial, children aged 5-15years were included from the Pediatric Obesity outpatient Clinics in Halland, Sweden. Participants were randomly assigned to receive lifestyle treatment with or without Family Meals on Prescription (FMP) consisting of a subsidized prepacked grocery bag including recipes and provisions for five Family Meals per week for 3months. The primary endpoint was changed in BMIz after 3, 12 and 18-24months and secondary endpoints included to assess tolerability of FMP and effects on metabolic biomarker and frequency of shared meals. Eighty-nine children (51.7% female) entered the study, 54 patients in the intervention group and 35 in the control group. There were no significant differences between the groups concerning gender, age or level of obesity at baseline. The Family Meal on Prescription intervention combined with lifestyle treatment led to a significantly greater reduction in BMIz than lifestyle treatment alone after the 3-month long intervention (- 0.17 vs + 0.01, p < 0.01); however, this difference was not sustained throughout the study period, and in fact, the control group had a greater reduction in BMIz after 18-24months.A subsidized prepacked grocery bag may be a novel, well-tolerated and effective tool in the treatment of childhood obesity. The fact that the BMIz reduction shown at the end of the intervention did not persist over time emphasized the need of long-term treatment. Registered at clinicaltrals.gov 27 Nov 2020, retrospectively registered: clinicaltrials.gov number 19002468. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05225350 What is Known: • Swedish data shows that lifestyle treatment alone is not sufficient for many families undergoing treatment for childhood obesity. • Regular family meals and mealtime routines have been shown to be important for nutritional health and dietary patterns in children and adolescents. What is New: • This intervention with a participatory approach involving prepacked family meals was well tolerated and led to a significant reduction in BMIz during the intervention. • That fact that these results were not sustained over time indicates a need to evaluate longer interventions, and that childhood obesity is a chronic and complex disease which requires long-time treatments.

Maternal mental health is associated with children's frequency of family meals at 12 and 24 months of age.

Diet during the child's first years is important for growth and development. In toddlerhood, higher diet quality is reported among children eating meals together with family. Although previous literature has documented several associations between maternal mental health and early child feeding practices, less is known about the relationship between maternal mental health and child frequency of shared family meals. This study explores associations between maternal symptoms of anxiety and depression, measured by The Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (SCL-8), and toddler participation in family meals. We used cross-sectional data from the Norwegian study Early Food for Future Health, in which participants responded to questionnaires at child age 12 (n = 455) and 24 months (n = 295). Logistic regression was used to explore associations between maternal mental health and child having regular (≥5 per week) or irregular (<5 per week) family meals (breakfast and dinner), adjusting for relevant child and maternal confounding variables. Children of mothers with higher scores of anxiety and depression had higher odds of Irregular family meals at both timepoints; (OR: 2.067, p = 0.015) and (OR: 2.444, p = 0.023). This is one of few studies exploring associations between maternal mental health and child frequency of shared family meals in early childhood, a period where the foundation for life-long health is shaped. Given the high prevalence of mental ailments and disorders, these findings are important and may inform future public health interventions. Further exploration of this relation is needed, including longitudinal research to test predictive associations and qualitative studies to increase insight and understanding.

Association between resilience promotion factors during childhood and risk of drug use disorder during adulthood.

Few studies have been conducted on the relationship between "outside-residing" resilience characteristics and the risk of developing drug use disorder later in life. These characteristics include responsive and caring parenting, household routines involving regular family meals and bedtime routines, social support from peers, participation in organized activities, and religious service attendance. We quantified the association between these resilience promotion factors during childhood and the risk of developing criteria for drug use disorder during adulthood using data from a retrospective cohort study of 618 adults born in Massachusetts during 1969-1983, including those with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Self-administered questionnaires gathered information on criteria for drug use disorder, ACEs, and family and community resilience promotion factors. Compared to individuals with "low" numbers of resilience promotion factors, 30% (95% CI: 0.5-0.9) and 50% reductions (95% CI: 0.4-0.8) in the risk of developing one or more criteria for drug use disorder were observed among those with "moderate" and "high" numbers of resilience factors, respectively (p value for trend=0.003). Overall, family factors were associated with greater risk reductions than comparable numbers of community factors. Among individuals with ACEs, a "high" number of family factors but not community factors were associated with a reduction in risk (RR:0.6, 95% CI:0.4-1.0 for family factors, RR:1.0, 95% CI:0.5-1.8 for community factors). These results suggest that the risk of developing criteria for drug use disorder decreases in a dose-response fashion according to the number of "outside-residing" resilience promotion factors during childhood, and that family factors are associated with greater risk reductions than community factors, particularly among individuals with ACEs. Coordinated prevention efforts at the family and community level are recommended to reduce the risk of this important societal problem.

Barriers to Healthy Family Dinners and Preventing Child Obesity: Focus Group Discussions with Parents of 5-to-8-Year-Old Children

Background: Although numerous physical and mental health benefits for children have been linked to family dinners, many families still do not have regular family meals together. This study sought to identify the barriers that keep families from having dinners together. Methods: We interviewed 42 parents of 5-to-8-year-old children in small focus groups to identify barriers and challenges that keep families from having healthy and consistent dinners together. Results: Parents reported the main barriers were time (e.g., time strain and overscheduling, mismatched schedules, long work hours, etc.), lack of meal planning or failure to follow plans, lack of skills (e.g., cooking skills or nutritional awareness), external factors (e.g., daycare, schools, or extended family, and competing with advertising), and food-related challenges (e.g., picky eating, food allergies). Parents also suggested potential solutions to overcome these barriers. Conclusions: Overall, parents had a desire to have family dinners with their children, but they felt that there are many barriers keeping them from establishing or maintaining consistent family mealtimes. Future research, as well as child obesity prevention and intervention efforts, should consider these barriers and suggested solutions in efforts to promote healthy and consistent family meals as a means of lowering the prevalence of childhood obesity.

Family Dinners and Family Relationships following the Initial Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the context of the COVID-19 shutdowns, we explored associations between family dinner and family well-being among 731 adult parents in the United States who currently had at least one child residing in their home. The panel survey was administered during the summer of 2020 (June 18 through July 22). Participants were asked to respond to questions about relational processes before the COVID-19 shutdowns, at the height of the shutdowns, and currently (i.e., at the time of data collection). Results suggest that maintaining regular family meals or increasing the frequency of these meals was associated with increased closeness and more positive perceptions of the impact of the pandemic. Participants’ qualitative responses to several open-ended questions are used to provide additional insights and nuance to the quantitative findings.

Associations of Family Meals with Adolescent Perception of Family Relationship and Compliance with Parental Guidance in Hong Kong: Results of a Representative Cross-Sectional Survey.

Family meals are beneficial for adolescent development, but evidence from Chinese populations has been limited. This study aimed to examine the associations between family meal frequency and adolescent perception of family relationship and compliance with parental guidance in Hong Kong. During the period from October to December 2016, a stratified random sample of 3359 students were recruited from 25 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Students completed questionnaires about family characteristics, relationship quality, and meal frequency by paper-and-pencil in class. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between family meal frequency and perceived family relationship and compliance with parental guidance overall and by subgroups. After adjusting for sociodemographic and school confounders, family breakfast and dinner frequency were significantly associated with adolescent compliance (breakfast: B = 0.07, p < 0.001; dinner: B 0.07, p < 0.001) and perception of family relationship (breakfast: B = 0.10, p < 0.001; dinner: B = 0.25, p < 0.001). Risk factors for infrequent family meals included older age, not born in Hong Kong, less educated fathers, and unmarried parents. Our findings support the associations of regular family meals with adolescent perception of high family bond and compliance with parental guidance. Interventions are needed to enhance quality family meal interactions in disadvantaged families.

The role of family meal frequency in common mental disorders in children and adolescents over eight months of follow-up.

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.

Resiliency and Obesity: What Factors Promote Healthy Weight? (P12-011-19)

ObjectivesEmotional distress can trigger maladaptive coping strategies, such as eating to suppress negative emotions, and this in turn, can lead to weight gain. This study reviews the literature for factors (personal, familial, or environmental) that help individuals maintain healthy weight in obesogenic environments. MethodsWe conducted a narrative review, in both adults and children, of resiliency strategies. A PubMed search was conducted using the term “resil* AND obesity” (as well as “resiliency AND obesity,” and “resilience AND obesity”). 47 articles that were relevant to the objectives of this study had their full-text reviewed. The eight which described types of resiliency were included in this study. ResultsPersonal resilience strategies include ‘shift-and-persist’ mindsets which help individuals reframe stressors more positively while at the same time maintaining an optimistic outlook about the future. ’Shift’ consists of cognitive restructuring, positive thinking, and emotion regulation. ’Persist’ consists of optimism and purpose. Resilient families with a strong sense of coherence and regular family meals together also helped individuals maintain healthy weight. ConclusionsResiliency training and family meals may be strategies worth exploring for the prevention and/or intervention against obesity. Funding SourcesNone.

Promotion of Family Routines and Positive Parent-Child Interactions for Obesity Prevention: Protocol for the 3 Pillars Study Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundChildhood obesity is a challenging public health issue, with 30% of children aged 2 to 4 years classified as being overweight or obese in New Zealand. This is concerning, given that up to 90% of obese 3-year-old children are overweight or obese by the time they reach adolescence. Interventions that target this age range often fail to demonstrate long-term effectiveness and primarily focus on traditional weight-related behaviors, including diet and physical activity. However, research suggests that targeting nontraditional weight-related behaviors, such as sleep, screen time, and family meals, may be a more effective approach in this age group, given the immense challenges in changing traditional weight-related behaviors in the long term.ObjectiveThe aim of the proposed study was to develop and pilot the 3 Pillars Study (3PS), a 6-week program for parents of New Zealand toddlers and preschoolers aged 2 to 4 years to promote positive parent-child interactions during 3 family routines, specifically adequate sleep, regular family meals, and restricted screen time.MethodsScreen time at the end of the 6-week program is the primary endpoint. The effects of the program on screen time, frequency of family meals, parent feeding practices, diet quality, and sleep duration will be piloted using a randomized controlled trial, with outcomes compared between the active intervention group and a wait-list control group at 6 weeks (at the end of the program) and 12 weeks (at final follow-up). We aim to recruit 50 participants (25 per arm). Eligibility criteria include parents of children aged 2 to 4 years who are currently exceeding screen use recommendations (ie, greater than 1 hour of screen time per day). The 3PS program involves a half-day workshop, run by a community worker trained to deliver the program content, and 6-week access to a study website that contains in-depth information about the program. All participants will also receive a study pack, which includes resources to encourage engagement in the 3 family routines promoted by the program. Study data will be collected in REDCap. All statistical analyses will be performed using SAS version 9.4 and have been specified a priori in a statistical analysis plan prepared by the study statistician.ResultsTrial recruitment opened in July 2018. Final follow-up was completed in December 2018, with trial findings expected to be available in early 2019.ConclusionsFindings from this pilot study will provide relevant data to inform the design of a larger effectiveness study of the 3PS program.Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Register ACTRN12618000823279; https://www.anzctr.org. au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=375004 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/773CALeTK)International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/12792

Impact of Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth on Response to a Nutritional Intervention in Bangladeshi Children from an Urban Community.

.Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is prevalent among children living in low-income settings, leading to impaired growth and development. The aim of this study was to assess linear and ponderal growth parameters between malnourished SIBO-positive and SIBO-negative children aged 12–18 months who prospectively underwent a nutritional intervention. A glucose hydrogen breath test to detect SIBO was performed in 194 stunted (length-for-age Z score [LAZ] < −2 standard deviations) or at-risk of stunting (LAZ score between < −1 and −2 standard deviations) children. Participants received nutritional supplementation (egg and milk) in addition to their regular family meals 6 days per week for 90 days. Small intestine bacterial overgrowth was defined as a ≥ 12-ppm rise in breath hydrogen over the patient’s baseline during the 3-hour test. Small intestine bacterial overgrowth status before intervention was forced into a multivariable linear regression model to examine its effects on anthropometric changes in response to the intervention. Sociodemographic data at enrollment was analyzed through multivariable logistic regression in an attempt to predict SIBO positivity. Overall, 14.9% (29/194) children were diagnosed with SIBO before the nutritional intervention. No statistically significant difference was observed among SIBO-positive and SIBO-negative groups in terms of their response to the nutritional intervention (SIBO-positive coefficient [95% confidence interval (CI)], P-value for ∆length-for-age Z score −0.003 [−0.14, 0.13], 0.96; ∆weight-for-age Z score −0.05 [−0.20, 0.09], 0.46; and ∆weight-for-length Z score −0.10 [−0.31, 0.10], 0.33). This study demonstrated that a noteworthy proportion of malnourished children living in a disadvantaged urban community were SIBO positive; however, it failed to reveal an association between SIBO status and response to nutritional intervention.

A qualitative investigation of how mothers from low income households perceive their role during family meals

BackgroundHaving regular family meals has been shown to be protective for child dietary intake (e.g., higher intake of fruit and vegetables). Mothers appear to be most responsible for preparing family meals. Therefore, understanding how mothers perceive their roles around family meals may help identify ways in which to help more families have regular family meals. MethodsUnited States mothers (n = 83) from the Twin Cities, Minnesota were interviewed during an in-home visit. Researchers trained in qualitative interviewing used a semi-structured approach and asked questions regarding the mothers' overall perception of their role during family meals. Interviews were coded using a mixed deductive and inductive content analysis approach. The majority of mothers were from minority and low-income households. ResultsMothers described their roles during family meals as the follows: 1) Helping children make healthy choices at family meals; 2) Making the meal happen; 3) Monitoring children's food intake; 4) Managing behavior at the family meal; 5) Making the family meal atmosphere enjoyable; and 6) Facilitating conversation/communication. Two secondary research questions also emerged about the specifics of the mothers' perception of her role at family meals (i.e., How do mothers deal with fighting or arguing if it occurs at family meals? and What do mothers talk about with children at family meals?) ConclusionsResults show that mothers have a large and varied role during family meals. Additionally, they are willing to put effort into family meals and want them to be enjoyable. Findings also suggest that mothers can be supported by encouraging fuller family participation in family meals and by offering mothers quality nutrition and parent feeding practice information.

Intergenerational transmission of family meal patterns from adolescence to parenthood: longitudinal associations with parents' dietary intake, weight-related behaviours and psychosocial well-being.

The present study examined longitudinal associations between four family meal patterns (i.e. never had regular family meals, started having regular family meals, stopped having regular family meals, maintained having regular family meals) and young adult parents' dietary intake, weight-related behaviours and psychosocial well-being. In addition, family meal patterns of parents were compared with those of non-parents. Analysis of data from the longitudinal Project EAT (Eating and Activity in Adolescents and Young Adults) study. Linear and logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between family meal patterns and parents' dietary intake, weight-related behaviours and psychosocial well-being. School and in-home settings. At baseline (1998; EAT-I), adolescents (n 4746) from socio-economically and racially/ethnically diverse households completed a survey and anthropometric measurements at school. At follow-up (2015; EAT-IV), participants who were parents (n 726) and who were non-parents with significant others (n 618) completed an online survey. Young adult parents who reported having regular family meals as an adolescent and as a parent ('maintainers'), or who started having regular family meals with their own families ('starters'), reported more healthful dietary, weight-related and psychosocial outcomes compared with young adults who never reported having regular family meals ('nevers'; P<0·05). In addition, parents were more likely to be family meal starters than non-parents. Results suggest that mental and physical health benefits of having regular family meals may be realized as a parent whether the routine of regular family meals is carried forward from adolescence into parenthood, or if the routine is started in parenthood.

Harnessing the Power of Family Dinners to Create Change in Family Therapy

Family dinner and family therapy confer many similar benefits to family members and they are both settings in which families can connect and interact as a group, in a designated space and time. Over the last 20 years, a large body of research documents the physical, academic, and mental health benefits of family dinners. Research links regular family meals with healthier eating habits and lower obesity rates, lower rates of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, depression, stress, and anxiety, as well as stronger self‐esteem, parent‐child connectedness, resilience, and even better vocabularies. Family therapists can harness these benefits in four ways. First, by asking screening questions of families to determine whether and how often they are sharing meals and then discussing solutions to overcoming common obstacles. Second, by asking about or enacting a family dinner to obtain a snapshot of a family's organisation and functioning, in terms of their gender roles, division of labour, expression of affect and conflict, capacity to have fun, and tolerance of difference. Third, by playing non‐competitive games in therapy that promote conversation, games that can also be played at the dinner table. Fourth, using family dinner as an annex to therapy as a place to experiment with new roles, behaviours, and patterns of communication, which can be enacted on a nightly basis after being discussed in therapy. Two case examples are presented to illustrate the ways that dinner can be a place for change, begun in therapy, and implemented at home.

Regular family breakfast was associated with children's overweight and parental education: Results from the ENERGY cross-sectional study

IntroductionThis study aims to assess (i) the prevalence of having regular family breakfast, lunch, dinner (i.e. 5–7days/week together with their family) among 10–12year olds in Europe, (ii) the association between family meals and child weight status, and (iii) potential differences in having family meals according to country of residence, gender, ethnicity and parental levels of education. Methods7716 children (mean age: 11.5±0.7years, 52% girls) in eight European countries (Belgium, Greece, Hungary, The Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland) participated in a cross-sectional school-based survey in 2010. Data on family meals were self-reported by the parents and children's height and weight were objectively measured to determine overweight status. Binary regression analyses assessed the associations of having regular family meals (adjusted for potential confounders) with children's overweight/obesity and to assess potential differences in having family meals according to gender, ethnicity and parental education, in the total sample and for each country respectively. ResultsThe prevalence of regular family meals was 35%, 37% and 76% for breakfast, lunch and dinner respectively. Having regular family breakfast, but not lunch or dinner, was inversely associated with overweight (OR=0.78 (95% CI 0.67–0.91)). Children of higher educated parents were more likely to have regular family breakfast (1.63 (95% CI 1.42–1.86)) and less likely to have regular family lunch (0.72 (95% CI 0.63–0.82)) compared to children of lower educated parents. ConclusionThis study showed that having regular family breakfast – but not other family meals- was inversely associated with children's weight status.

Strong Interpersonal Relationships Buffer the Impact of Chaos on Quality of Family Meal Interactions in Food‐insecure Households

Regularity of family meals is lower in households experiencing food insecurity. Many food‐insecure households also experience chaos, defined as exhibiting “unpredictable, non‐routine, inconsistent, and non‐contingent physical and social surroundings.” Household chaos may negatively impact the quality of family meal interactions. This is a concern because regular family meals foster healthy physical and social development of children. Positive family meal experiences may provide opportunities for children to strengthen emotional bonds, leading to a sense of security, which foster improved self‐regulation of healthier food intake in children. Relationships between household chaos and regularity and quality of family meal interactions are not well understood, particularly in food‐insecure households. We studied family meal experiences of parents and children living in food‐insecure households to better understand relationships between household chaos and the regularity and quality of mealtime interactions.We conducted a qualitative study with 20 ethnically diverse parent‐child (9–15 y) dyads living in food‐insecure households in South Carolina. Parents and children participated separately in in‐depth interviews about their daily activities, with an emphasis on their family mealtime experiences using a semi‐structured interview guide. Interviews were recorded transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach in Nvivo 10.Food‐insecure families described demands that increased household chaos including conflicts with work and after school schedules, coping with poverty and food insecurity (e.g., working extra hours or seeking food assistance), and children visiting multiple homes, particularly when food was limited. For many, household chaos impacted the regularity of family meals but did not alter the quality of mealtime interactions. Stronger interpersonal relationships were described as the primary reason for enjoyable mealtime experience with few disruptions. These families viewed family meals as a “sanctuary” from chaos, leaving them feeling more connected afterwards. Families who described strained interpersonal relationships reported minimal, yet stressful and disrupted interactions during family meals. Some described family members bringing stressors, frustrations, and anger to the meal, resulting in conflict. Feelings of guilt, failure, and frustration over the meal experience were common among these families and resentment or apathy towards family meals were described by some children.All families experienced household chaos and the strength of interpersonal relationships buffered or exacerbated the impact of chaos on quality of family meal interactions. Understanding family meal experiences of children in food‐insecure households highlights the importance of interpersonal relationships and regular positive mealtime interactions that may strengthen emotional connections in families to improve child health outcomes.Support or Funding InformationEconomic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the RIDGE Center for Targeted Studies at Purdue University and the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not represent the USDA.

Promoting family meals: a review of existing interventions and opportunities for future research.

Evidence suggests that regular family meals protect against unhealthy eating and obesity during childhood and adolescence. However, there is limited information on ways to promote family meals as part of health promotion and obesity prevention efforts. The primary aim of this review was to synthesize the literature on strategies to promote family meals among families with school-aged children and adolescents. First, we reviewed interventions that assess family meals as an outcome and summarized strategies that have been used in these interventions. Second, we reviewed correlates and barriers to family meals to identify focal populations and target constructs for consideration in new interventions. During May 26–27, 2014, PubMed and PsycInfo databases were searched to identify literature on family meals published between January 1, 2000 and May 27, 2014. Two reviewers coded 2,115 titles/abstracts, yielding a sample of 139 articles for full-text review. Six interventions and 43 other studies presenting data on correlates of or barriers to family meals were included in the review. Four interventions resulted in greater family meal frequency. Although there were a small number of interventions, intervention settings were diverse and included the home, community, medical settings, the workplace, and the Internet. Common strategies were goal setting and interactive group activities, and intervention targets included cooking and food preparation, cost, shopping, and adolescent influence. Although methodological nuances may contribute to mixed findings, key correlates of family meals were employment, socioeconomic and demographic factors, family structure, and psychosocial constructs. Barriers to consider in future interventions include time and scheduling challenges, cost, and food preferences. Increasing youth involvement in mealtime, tailoring interventions to family characteristics, and providing support for families experiencing time-related barriers are suggested strategies for future research.

Is Adolescent Body Weight Associated With Parental Beliefs About Overweight, Attitudes Towards Food, and the Home Environment?

&lt;p&gt;Parents play a crucial role in the development of childhood overweight and also in controling overweight. This study investigated a broad set of parental factors, including general attitudes towards food (price, identity, cooking, ecology, mood, dieting, convenience, functionality), social cognitions concerning overweight (risk perception, self-efficacy for exercising and healthy eating, response efficacy for exercising and healthy eating) and characteristics of the home environment (restriction of snacks, regular family meals, parents involved in sports) and their association with their children’s zBMI, i.e. adolescents between 12-19 years old. In a non-clinical sample of 842 parent-adolescent dyads we found that the zBMI is most strongly and positively associated with parental dieting attitudes and negatively with parents’ self-efficacy to motivate their children to exercise. The zBMI is negatively and weakly associated with dislike of cooking, identification with the way of eating and the perceived benefit of healthy eating (response efficacy). Half of the parents assessed their children’s overweight and obesity correctly, while the other half underestimated it. No difference was found with respect to all investigated variables (general attitudes, social cognitions concerning overweight and home environment) between parents who correctly perceive and those who misperceive their children’s weight status.&lt;/p&gt;

The associations of meals and snacks on family meals among a sample of grade 7 students from Southwestern Ontario

Background: Research has shown the positive associations of family meals and diet quality. However, little is known about how other meals/snacks may be associated with family meals. Objective: The purpose was to determine the associations among the frequency and calorie consumption of meals/snacks and family dinners. Design: Cross-sectional. Data were collected using Web-based Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (WEB-Q), including a 24-h diet recall for breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and evening snack. Measured height and weight were used to determine body weight status (BMI). Participants/setting: Participants included 1068 grade 7 students (52% males) from 26 schools in Windsor Essex County, Ontario, Canada. Main outcome measures: Meal, snack, and total daily caloric intake; meal and snack frequency; with whom dinner was consumed, and weekly family dinner frequency. Statistical analyses performed: Exploratory one-way ANOVAs and chi-square tests; nominal and ordinal logistic regression. Results: Ninety-three percent of participants consumed dinner with family members on the night prior to the survey and 77% reported usually consuming dinner/supper with at least one parent on six to seven nights/week. Those who had dinner with family members consumed 4.88 (SD 1.1) meals/snacks per day compared with 4.40 (SD 1.3) and 4.40 (SD 1.3) times/day for consuming dinner alone or with friends, respectively (p = 0.006). On the day prior to the survey, participants were less likely to consume a family meal if they consumed a lower number of meals and snacks per day (OR = 0.69 (95% CI: 0.55, 0.87), p < 0.001). Similarly, participants were less likely to consume regular family meals if they consumed a lower number of meals and snacks per day (OR = 0.84 (95% CI: 0.74, 0.96), p = 0.009). Conclusions: While specific meals and snacks were not associated with family dinner, overall eating frequency was positively associated with family meals.

Family meals and diet quality among children and adolescents in North Carolina.

To examine the relationship between diet quality and frequency of family meals throughout childhood and adolescence. Cross-sectional study of children ages birth through 17 years (n = 1,992) using data from the 2010 North Carolina Child Health and Monitoring Program. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the associations between family meals and fruit intake, vegetable intake, and sugar-sweetened beverage intake among younger children, older children, and adolescents. In adjusted analyses, participating in ≥ 5 family meals/wk was associated with less sugar-sweetened beverage intake among younger (OR 2.04; CI 1.06-3.93) and older children (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.27-3.55), greater vegetable intake among older children (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.08-3.24) and adolescents (OR 1.81; 95% CI 1.14-2.88), and greater fruit intake among adolescents (OR 2.11; 95% CI 1.40-3.19). Strategies to encourage families to establish regular family meals early in life and continue them throughout childhood and adolescence is warranted.

Mothers' dietary behaviors are associated with nutritional status in their children (1019.25)

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of mothers’ dietary behaviors on children’s nutritional status in Korea. Women aged 蠅19 years were selected and their children were matched using the household information (2,588 mother‐child pairs) in the 4th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Four indicators of mothers' dietary behaviors were included: eating‐out frequency, family meal frequency, meal skipping status and breakfast intake with family. The nutritional status in children was evaluated by serving intake of six food groups in the Food Guidance System and their distribution of nutrient intakes below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) by children’s age group (6‐11 and 12‐18 years). Results showed that intake of grains and vegetables were significantly higher in children aged 6‐11 years when mothers reported to be following healthier dietary behaviors; having regular family meals (p=0.0018, p=0.0068), having not skipped any of the six meals in the past two days (p=0.0005, p=0.0002), and having breakfast with family (p=0.0008, p=0.0004). Eating‐out frequency did not have a significant impact on food group intake. Distribution of children’s nutrient intake below EAR was reduced for the same variables aforementioned with iron and niacin nutrients in particular showing improvement in intake status in children of both age groups. This study suggests that healthy dietary behaviors in mothers may have a positive effect on children’s overall dietary quality. More studies exploring the relationship between dietary behaviors of mothers and their children’s dietary patterns as well as health outcome are encouraged in the future.