Mealtime emotional climate and child health: A systematic review

Smith, Jasmin; Saltzman, Jaclyn A.; Dev, Dipti A.

doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2021.101582

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Many studies have focused on the relationship between FFM and healthy eating patterns, and most of these have been conducted with girls (17,27). Frequent family meals have been associated with a decrease in problematic eating behaviors such as extreme dietary restriction, anorexia and bulimia, skipping meals, overeating, and poor food choices (15,28,29). Interventions for families with overweight adolescent girls have had some success in increasing family meal participation by stressing its importance in their daughters' weight loss efforts (30,31).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender differences in family meal frequency and their association with substance use and mental health among middle and high school students

Luo

Cummins

Zhu

2023

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundFamily meals are associated with adolescent health outcomes. Studies have reported that girls are less likely than boys to have dinner with their families.PurposeThis study examined gender differences in family meal frequency and the relationship between meal frequency and other health measures, using a large and representative sample of California middle and high school students.MethodsThis study analyzed data from the 2019–2020 California Student Tobacco Survey (159,904 students in grades 8, 10, and 12). Dinner with the family 5–7 times per week was defined as high frequency. Students reported substance use (of tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol) and rated their mental health and happiness in their home life. All analyses were weighted to reflect the California student population.ResultsFewer than half (44.7%) of students reported a high frequency of family meals, with boys more likely than girls and those who identified their gender in another way the least likely to do so (48.3%, 42.2%, 34.0%, respectively). Gender differences persisted across demographics and the quality of family relationships, and were evident as early as eighth grade. Less frequent family meals were associated with poorer mental health (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.29–1.40) and substance use (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.21–1.32), controlling for the effects of demographics and family dynamics.ConclusionGender differences in family meal frequency emerge early in adolescence and persist across demographics and family relationships. Given that family meals play a protective role in an adolescent’s life, these gender differences are concerning.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender differences in family meal frequency and their association with substance use and mental health among middle and high school students

Luo

Cummins

Zhu

2023

Front. Public Health

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“…Weight status was the most commonly assessed outcome, investigated by eleven systematic reviews. Original studies considered weight status because of its alignment with over-weight and obesity, although samples in most studies under-represented the proportion of overweight young people compared to current estimates [43,44]. Weight status was operationalised across original studies in a variety of ways, typically overweight, obesity, BMI or zBMI.…”

Section: Family Meals As a Predictor Of Weight-statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family Mealtimes: A Systematic Umbrella Review of Characteristics, Correlates, Outcomes and Interventions

Snuggs

Harvey

2023

Nutrients

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Systematic reviews have examined the multitude of studies investigating family mealtimes and their importance to child/adolescent health and psychosocial outcomes, but the focus of each is limited to specific aspects of family meals (e.g., frequency) and/or specific outcomes (e.g., nutrition). Their findings require synthesis and so a systematic umbrella review was undertaken. Databases were searched to identify systematic reviews (with or without meta-analysis/meta-synthesis) addressing at least one of the following questions: what are the characteristics and/or correlates of family mealtimes; what outcomes are associated with family mealtimes; are interventions aimed at promoting family mealtimes effective? Forty-one eligible reviews were retrieved. Their findings demonstrate that families with children/adolescents typically eat together at least a few days each week. More frequent family meals are predicted by a more positive mealtime environment, more positive attitudes towards family meals, the presence of younger children, and families having more time. Greater family meal frequency protects children/adolescents against a poorer diet, obesity, risk behaviours, poorer mental health and wellbeing, and poorer academic outcomes. Findings from interventions seeking to promote family mealtimes are mixed. This umbrella review provides a comprehensive and integrated understanding of research into family mealtimes, establishing where evidence is sound and where further research is needed.

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“…Diet can also be an important indicator of health outcomes influenced by the mealtime routine, and families who eat together more frequently consume more fruits and vegetables (Glanz et al, 2021). Mealtimes may also assist with family functioning, allowing family members to communicate more effectively and accomplish tasks together (Smith et al, 2022).…”

Section: Benefits Of Mealtimesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is important to note that while much research has recognized the benefits of mealtimes among families of racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse communities (Robson et al, 2020; Smith et al, 2022), few studies have examined disparities of or barriers to mealtimes by racial/ethnic groups. For example, within Black families, researchers have found that caregivers valued family mealtimes and acknowledged the benefits; however, several barriers did not allow them to have regular family mealtimes (Jarrett et al, 2016).…”

Section: Benefits Of Mealtimesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of adverse childhood experiences on family mealtime frequency: Examining racial and ethnic differences.

Helton¹,

Ju²,

Iwinski³

et al. 2023

Journal of Family Psychology

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Eating meals as a family is associated with multiple positive nutritional and emotional outcomes for parents and children. Although the benefits of mealtimes extend to all families, families of color and those in poverty face disproportional barriers to eating frequent meals together. No previous study has properly attended to the heterogeneity of racial and ethnic groups in the United States when assessing mealtime barriers. Focusing on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), our analyses tested whether an increased number of adversities, and particular types of adversities, were associated with a decrease in mealtime frequency for different racial/ethnic families in the United States. Utilizing a large, nationally representative sample of families (n = 59,963), results showed that higher cumulative ACE scores reduced the number of days a family eats meals together in a given week. For specific ACE items, seven out of nine individual ACE items were associated with decreased mealtimes (excluding parental death and racial discrimination). Stratification resulted in varied associations between accumulated and individual ACE items and mealtime frequency depending on racial/ethnic group. Asian families in particular had greater odds of infrequent meals than other families, while Native American, Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander, and other racial/ethnic families were unaffected by increased ACEs. Results indicate that a family’s accumulation of multiple adversities may impede mealtimes by either forcing families to prioritize the management of other stressors or by depleting the physical and mental resources needed to establish a routine. Focusing on family cultural traditions as protective factors may be an area of future intervention.

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Mealtime emotional climate and child health: A systematic review

Cited by 6 publications

References 37 publications

Gender differences in family meal frequency and their association with substance use and mental health among middle and high school students

Gender differences in family meal frequency and their association with substance use and mental health among middle and high school students

Family Mealtimes: A Systematic Umbrella Review of Characteristics, Correlates, Outcomes and Interventions

The effect of adverse childhood experiences on family mealtime frequency: Examining racial and ethnic differences.

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