Perspectives About Family Meals from Racially/Ethnically and Socioeconomically Diverse Households With and Without an Overweight/Obese Child

Abstract

Findings from the current study may be useful for developing interventions for racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse households with and without an overweight/obese child to be delivered through family meals.

Ecological Momentary Assessment of the Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Family Meal Environment in Racially/Ethnically Diverse and Immigrant Households

“…For example, prior studies have indicated the importance of having rules at family meals (e.g., electronics, flexible scheduling so family members can be at family meals) and that a positive emotional atmosphere at family meals is associated with child healthy weight and weight-related behaviors, which was also identified in the qualitative findings in the current study. 19,23,[27][28][29] One result from the current study that extends past findings includes the qualitative theme regarding having more breakfast and lunch family meals on weekend days versus weekdays. One hypothesis for this finding is that families may have more time on the weekends to carry out these different family meal types and may find them more reinforcing because they are less rushed, or include more home-cooked foods, which potentially leads to having more breakfast and lunch family meals on the weekend.…”

“…13,14 In addition, research has indicated that parents receive many of these same health benefits (e.g., healthy dietary intake, better psychosocial health) when they participate in regular family meals. 15,16 However, little is known about specific meal characteristics (e.g., who prepared the meal, who is present at the meal, emotional atmosphere of the meal, what was served at the meal) [17][18][19] and whether these characteristics differ by family meal types including, breakfast, lunch, or dinner family meals. 20,21 In addition, it is unclear which meal characteristics are associated with family meal frequency.…”

“…There has also been some prior qualitative research conducted with parents to identify meal characteristics of importance for promoting family meal frequency. 19,[27][28][29] These studies have provided a solid first step in understanding key meal characteristics (e.g., rules at meals, importance of family meals) 19,[27][28][29] from a parent's perspective that may increase the likelihood of family meals occurring. A next important step is to utilize mixed methods to provide both depth (qualitative) and breadth (quantitative) in understanding meal characteristics associated with family meal frequency.…”

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

“…Such information may help reduce the barriers or potential burdens identified in previous research regarding why family meals are sometimes hard for families to carry out. 48–50 Furthermore, it may be important to conduct qualitative research with parents regarding their attitudes towards family meals such as, their reasons for, or against, carrying forward family meals or barriers to carrying forward family meals with their own families.…”

“…Additionally, interventions and future research focused on increasing family meals may want to include educational messages for families and parents regarding the importance of starting regular family meals whenever possible and tips for parents who did not eat regular family meals as children, but who might want to start. Such information may help reduce the barriers or potential burdens identified in previous research regarding why family meals are sometimes hard for families to carry out (46)(47)(48) . Furthermore, it may be important to conduct qualitative research with parents regarding their attitudes towards family meals, such as their reasons for (or against) carrying forward family meals or barriers to carrying forward family meals with their own families.…”