Exploring the Role of Family Functioning in the Association Between Frequency of Family Dinners and Dietary Intake Among Adolescents and Young Adults

Abstract

IMPORTANCE Eating meals, particularly dinner, with family members has been associated with improved dietary intake among youths. However, existing studies have not examined how family functioning may moderate or confound this association. OBJECTIVE To examine whether level of family functioning is associated cross-sectionally with frequency of family dinners and dietary intake among a US national sample of adolescents and young adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Data from the 2011 questionnaire in the Growing Up Today Study 2 were used for this cross-sectional study. Linear regression models examined the extent to which family dinner frequency was associated with self-reported intake of fruits and vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages, fast food, and takeout food among 2728 adolescents and young adults (age, 14-24 years). To explore effect modification by family functioning, an interaction term for family functioning and family dinner frequency was included for each dietary outcome. To explore confounding, models adjusted for family functioning were run. All models were stratified by sex and included participant age, educational attainment of mother's spouse or partner, and family structure as covariates. Statistical analysis was conducted between January 1, 2017, and August 31, 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Dietary intake measured by consumption of fruits and vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages, takeout food, and fast food; family dinner frequency per week; and family functioning. RESULTS Among the 2728 participants, there were 1559 female and 1169 male participants who were 14 to 24 years of age (mean [SD] age, 19.4 [1.9] years) and were living with their parents in 2011. Most participants (2453 of 2649 [92.6%]) identified as white. More frequent family dinners were associated with higher-quality dietary intake regardless of level of family functioning; interactions between family functioning and family dinner frequency were not significant. Associations between family meal frequency and dietary intake outcomes did not change substantively when adjusting for family functioning. In adjusted models, more frequent family dinners were associated with higher intakes of fruits (female participants:

Family meal frequency and its association with food consumption and nutritional status in adolescents: A systematic review

“…The cross-sectional and longitudinal components of studies with both types of data were evaluated separately for risk of bias. According to the NOS, 35 studies were rated as having good quality (27 cross-sectional and 8 longitudinal) [ 12 , 17 – 26 , 32 – 38 , 42 – 45 , 47 , 48 , 50 – 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 – 61 , 63 , 64 ], whereas 19 were of fair quality (15 cross-sectional and 4 longitudinal) [ 11 , 20 , 27 – 31 , 36 , 39 – 41 , 46 , 49 , 52 – 55 , 57 , 62 ]. In most cases, cross-sectional studies were rated as having fair quality because of lack of justification of sample size, no calculation of the response rate, or no description of characteristics of responders and non-responders, and longitudinal studies because of written self-report questionnaires to investigate exposure, follow-up rate <80%, or no description of participants lost to follow-up.…”

“…The studies included in this review were published between 2000 and 2020, with 23 published in the past 5 years [ 17 , 22 , 25 – 29 , 33 , 37 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 48 , 49 , 51 , 53 , 55 – 61 ]; of these, 8 were published between 2019 and 2020 [ 17 , 20 , 22 , 26 , 41 , 43 , 51 , 58 ]. Thirty-one studies were conducted in North America [ 11 , 12 , 19 , 20 , 23 , 24 , 27 – 32 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 41 – 47 , 49 , 52 , 53 , 55 , 56 , 61 – 64 ], and 27 of these were conducted in the United States. An additional 6 studies were performed in Europe [ 21 , 22 , 38 , 41 , 50 , 60 ], 4 in Oceania [ 18 , 39 , 40 , ...…”

“…Thirteen studies provided no information on participant ethnicity [ 21 , 22 , 25 , 26 , 40 , 49 – 51 , 54 , 59 , 60 , 62 , 63 ]. The other studies described ethnicity and/or race in different ways, but in most of them (n = 24) samples were predominantly Caucasian or non-Hispanic white [ 11 , 12 , 18 – 20 , 27 – 29 , 32 , 34 – 36 , 41 , 44 – 47 , 49 , 52 , 53 , 55 , 56 , 61 , 64 ].…”

“…Totland et al (2017) reported that lower frequency of family dinners was associated with lower vegetable intake among adolescents [60]. Walton et al (2018) found that frequent family dinners were associated with healthier dietary habits, including higher fruit and vegetable intake and lower consumption of fast food and takeout in both boys and girls, as well as lower intake of sugar-sweetened beverages in boys [61].…”

Environmental Influences on Dietary Intake of Children and Adolescents

“…This association was partially mediated by children's diet (vegetable, breakfast, and snack intake), suggesting that home cooking is associated with healthy intake, which, in turn, decreases the risk for obesity [10]. Home cooking and family meals are important indicators of family functioning [11], and can thus be regarded an important target for future obesity prevention interventions. Transference of cooking skills from parents to their children could be a key aspect in increasing home cooking.…”