Publication year
2006
Citation Title
Family dinner meal frequency and adolescent development: Relationships with developmental assets and high-risk behaviors.
Journal Name
Journal of Adolescent Health
Journal Volume
39
Issue Number
3
Page Numbers
337-345
DOI
10.1016/j.jadohealth.2005.12.026
Summary
There is some evidence that family routines may influence adolescents' health. Associations between family meal frequency, developmental assets and high-risk behaviors among adolescents across the United States were measured. Findings indicate that eating family meals together positively affects adolescent development.
Key Findings
About half of students in a two-parent household reported five to seven family dinners in the past week, whereas only one-third of single parent homes reported five to seven family dinners in the past week.
Students who reported eating frequent family dinners were half as likely as students who reported eating very few family meals to report engaging in high-risk behaviors including alcohol and drugs, sexual intercourse, violence, and binge eating or purging.
Students who reported eating frequent family dinner meals were twice as likely to report high self-esteem, feeling a sense of purpose, and having a positive outlook on the future compared to students who reported few family dinners.
Implications for Military Professionals
Collaborate with organizations connected with military parents to emphasize the importance of cooking and eating family dinners together
Facilitate after-school programs for youth to learn how to cook, meal prep and budget for groceries
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer cooking and meal preparation classes designed for a busy military schedule
Offer programs that disseminate information to military parents on the importance of spending time together as a family, including during mealtimes
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend integrating parenting education on family cohesion into existing service delivery systems for military families
Promote programs that bring military families together to facilitate family support, positive family communication, parental involvement, and family boundries
Methods
Two-hundred and thirteen school districts gave the survey to eligible students.
Information on family meal frequency and the 40 developmental assests were collected.
Relationships between health outcomes, developmental assets, and family meal frequency were analyzed.
Participants
The sample consisted of 99,462 6th to 12th grade students, of which 49,138 were males and 49,620 were females.
The sample population was 86% White, 5% Multiracial, 4% Latino, 2% Asian American, and less than 2% Black and Native American.
About 25% of students reported living in the country or on a farm, 34% reported living in a small town, 35% reported living in a town or small city, and 4% reported living in a large metropolitan area.
Limitations
The cross-sectional design of the study prevented researchers from making the claim that the frequency of family meals lead to healthier behavioral results in adolescents.
A high percentage of students lived in rural areas or small towns, limiting the ability to generalize the findings to larger metropolitan areas.
Relying on self-report from only one source could have biased the results of the study.
Avenues for Future Research
Collect longitudinal data in order to determine if family dinner meal frequency predicts adolescent outcomes
Gather data from a larger sample, including a higher percentage from urban areas, in order to allow for broader generalization of findings
Implement videotape methodology during family meals to collect objective assessment of family functioning, meals per week, and family dynamics
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
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.
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.
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