Family Meals and Adolescent Emotional Well-Being: Findings From a National Study

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2016.09.002

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior

Volume 49, Issue 1, January 2017, Pages 67-72.e1

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2016.09.002 Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

To describe the relationship between family meals and adolescent mental health and determine whether the relationship differs by sex.

Design

Secondary analyses of a cross-sectional survey.

Participants

A total of 8,500 nationally representative students.

Main Outcome Measures

Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; World Health Organization Well-being Index.

Analysis

Multiple regression models determined the relationships between family meals and mental health indicators; sociodemographic variables and family connection were included as covariates.

Results

Approximately 60% of adolescents shared family meals ≥5 times in the previous week, whereas 22% reported that they shared ≤2 meals in the previous week. Greater frequency of family meals was associated with fewer depressive symptoms (P < .001), fewer emotional difficulties (P < .001) and better emotional well-being (<.001). These relationships between family meals and depressive symptoms were attenuated by sex; the relationship was stronger for females than for males.

Conclusions and Implications

Frequent family meals may have a protective effect on the mental health of adolescents, particularly for depressive symptoms in girls. Interventions that aim to increase the frequency of family meals are needed to evaluate whether family meals alone can have an emotional benefit for adolescents.

Introduction

Family meals appear to be important to the healthy development of adolescents. It was hypothesized that regular family meals enhance family functioning, such as through communication, sharing family values, parental monitoring of adolescent behaviors, and collective problem solving.1, 2 Healthier family functioning contributes to better health and well-being for young people.³ These hypotheses are consistent with a growing body of literature documenting the relationship between frequent family meals and multiple indicators of adolescent health.2, 4 Adolescents who frequently share meals with their families have better nutrition,4, 5 are less likely to engage in unhealthy weight control practices,6, 7, 8 and report fewer health risk behaviors.9, 10, 11

An emerging body of evidence has also begun to explore the relationship between family meals and indicators of adolescent mental health.1, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Of these existing studies, the majority were conducted in North America1, 10, 11, 12, 13 and many measured only negative dimensions of mental health (eg, depressive symptoms).10, 11, 12, 13 Findings from these studies suggested that frequent family meals were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Two studies demonstrated significant relationships between family meals and positive dimensions of mental health, such as emotional well-being.1, 14 All of the research conducted to date has been observational. Although intervention trials would provide stronger evidence of the nature of the relationship between family meals and adolescent mental health, they are difficult to design and implement. Observational studies allow the relationship between family meals and adolescent mental health to be explored while accounting for other factors that may influence the relationship.

Given the gender differences in mental health concerns,¹⁵ it is surprising that the current authors could only identify 1 study that examined whether the relationship between family meals and mental health was moderated by gender. Elgar et al¹ found a significant relationship between frequent family meals and prosocial behavior, which was stronger for males than females.

The current study aimed to extend the evidence base examining the potential role family meals have in the mental well-being of adolescents in New Zealand. The study describes the relationship between family meals and adolescent mental health and attempted to determine whether the relationship differs by sex.

Section snippets

Methods

Data for the current study were collected as part of Youth ’12, a nationally representative survey of the health and well-being of secondary school students in New Zealand. In total, 8,500 secondary school students participated in the survey. There were slightly more females (54%) than males and slightly more younger students (22% aged ≤13 years, 22% aged 14 years, and 21% aged 15 years) than older students (19% aged 16 years and 17% aged ≥17 years). Full details of the methodology and design

Results

Approximately 60% of adolescents reported sharing family meals frequently (≥5 times/wk) (Table 1). However, >20% of adolescents reported that they shared family meals infrequently (≤2 times/wk). Infrequent family meals (≤2 times/wk) were more common for older students (P < .001); students who identified their ethnicity as Pacific Island, Māori, or other (P < .001); students living in areas with high levels of deprivation (P < .001); and students living with household poverty (P < .001).

Discussion

The current study aimed to describe the potential role family meals have in the mental well-being of adolescents in New Zealand and to determine whether the relationship between family meals and adolescent mental health varied for males and females. Greater frequency of family meals was associated with fewer depressive symptoms and emotional difficulties and better emotional well-being. Family meals may be particularly important for females because the protective association between family

Implications for Research and Practice

Frequent family meals may have a protective effect on the mental health of adolescents, particularly for girls. Findings from the current study offer a positive and tangible activity that families can prioritize to promote good mental health for their young people. Health and nutrition professionals may consider promoting family meals as a means to engage positively with families, promote good nutrition, and encourage stronger family relationships. Future intervention research is needed to

Acknowledgments

Funding for the Youth ’12 study was provided by a consortium of 8 government agencies: the Ministry of Youth Development, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Labour, the Health Promotion Agency, and the Families Commission.

References (26)

F.J. Elgar et al.
Family dinners, communication, and mental health in Canadian adolescents
J Adolesc Health
(2013)
R.M. Viner et al.
Adolescence and the social determinants of health
Lancet
(2012)
J.A. Fulkerson et al.
A review of associations between family or shared meal frequency and dietary and weight status outcomes across the lifespan
J Nutr Educ Behav
(2014)
D. Neumark-Sztainer et al.
Are family meal patterns associated with disordered eating behaviors among adolescents?
J Adolesc Health
(2004)
M.E. Eisenberg et al.
Family meals and substance use: is there a long-term protective association?
J Adolesc Health
(2008)
J. Fulkerson et al.
Are there nutritional and other benefits associated with family meals among at-risk youth?
J Adolesc Health
(2009)
J.A. Fulkerson et al.
Family dinner meal frequency and adolescent development: relationships with developmental assets and high-risk behaviors
J Adolesc Health
(2006)
A.K. Allgaier et al.
Depression in pediatric care: is the WHO-Five Well-Being Index a valid screening instrument for children and adolescents?
Gen Hosp Psychiatry
(2012)
R. Goodman
Psychometric properties of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
(2001)
D. Neumark-Sztainer et al.
Changes in the frequency of family meals from 1999 to 2010 in the homes of adolescents: trends by sociodemographic characteristics
J Adolesc Health
(2013)

M.R. Skeer et al.

Are family meals as good for youth as we think they are? A review of the literature on family meals as they pertain to adolescent risk prevention

J Youth Adolesc

(2013)

S.J. Woodruff et al.

A review of family meal influence on adolescents' dietary intake

Can J Diet Pract Res

(2008)

J. Haines et al.

Family dinner and disordered eating behaviors in a large cohort of adolescents

Eat Disord

(2010)

Cited by (48)

Epigenetic Effects of Healthy Foods and Lifestyle Habits from the Southern European Atlantic Diet Pattern: A Narrative Review
2022, Advances in Nutrition
Recent scientific evidence has shown the importance of diet and lifestyle habits for the proper functioning of the human body. A balanced and healthy diet, physical activity, and psychological well-being have a direct beneficial effect on health and can have a crucial role in the development and prognosis of certain diseases. The Southern European Atlantic diet, also named the Atlantic diet, is a unique dietary pattern that occurs in regions that present higher life expectancy, suggesting that this specific dietary pattern is associated with positive health effects. In fact, it is enriched with nutrients of high biological value, which, together with its cooking methods, physical activity promotion, reduction in carbon footprint, and promoting of family meals, promote these positive effects on health. The latest scientific advances in the field of nutri-epigenetics have revealed that epigenetic markers associated with food or nutrients and environmental factors modulate gene expression and, therefore, are involved with both health and disease. Thus, in this review, we evaluated the main aspects that define the Southern European Atlantic diet and the potential epigenetic changes associated with them based on recent studies regarding the main components of these dietary patterns. In conclusion, based on the information existing in the literature, we postulate that the Southern European Atlantic diet could promote healthy aging by means of epigenetic mechanisms. This review highlights the necessity of performing longitudinal studies to demonstrate this proposal.
Personal, proxy, and collective food agency among early adolescents
2021, Appetite
Early adolescence is a critical time for health behavior development because agency increases during the transition from childhood to adolescence. This qualitative study sought to identify how early adolescent participants described food-related agency. One-on-one interviews were conducted with 30 early adolescents (10–13 years). Data analysis was guided by Bandura's three modes of agency: personal, proxy, and collective. Results suggest participants' food behaviors were informed by a growing knowledge about nutrition, household food rules, and school food environments. Participants described different modes of agency in four areas – grocery shopping, cooking, consumption decisions, and nutrition information seeking – with varying degrees of agency in each area. Understanding how each of the three modes operate and the interplay between them can information future research aimed at improving the nutrition behaviors of early adolescents.
Addressing the Clinical Impact of COVID-19 on Pediatric Mental Health
2021, Journal of Pediatric Health Care
Citation Excerpt :
Helping families focus on primary routines, including eating healthy meals together, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, and attending school regularly (whether in-person or virtual), helps maintain a sense of normalcy and supports good mental health, especially for socially isolated teens (Guessoum et al., 2020; Hou, et al., 2020). Specific strategies like setting alarms to help promote adherence to routine can also be normalizing for families seeking support and guidance during the pandemic (Utter et al., 2017). Limit exposure to daily news consumption, and empower children to seek fact-based, reliable sources of information.
The COVID-19 pandemic impacts daily lives of families globally. Sequelae are not limited to physical consequences of medical complications but extend into social, emotional, spiritual, and psychological health. Interventions including mask-wearing and physical distancing are intended to prevent viral spread, but have unintended negative effects on mental health and child development. Although it is too early to know the full impact, practicing pediatric clinicians are well-positioned to help young people recover and thrive despite challenges presented. This article will review the impact of COVID-19 on child mental health and give practical interventions to foster resilience in youth and their families.
Identification of influencing factors for suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among adolescents: 11-year national data analysis for 788,411 participants
2020, Psychiatry Research
Citation Excerpt :
However, among several hypotheses that have been proposed as to why skipping breakfast is a risk factor for suicide attempts, one suggested mechanism concerns the social aspect of breakfast. The theory suggests that the sharing of family meals, including breakfast, appears to be important in the healthy physical and emotional development of adolescents (Keski-Rahkonen et al., 2003; Utter et al., 2017). A consistent breakfast experience, especially when it includes family interaction, enhances family functioning by facilitating comfortable communication and providing an opportunity for the sharing of values, identification of aims in life, parental monitoring of adolescent behaviors, and the solving of collective problems (Keski-Rahkonen et al., 2003; Utter et al., 2017).
Suicide is one of the most common causes of death in adolescents. This study identified trends in the prevalence of and factors influencing suicidal ideation and attempts among Korean adolescents. Data were drawn from the third through the thirteenth (2007–2017) annual Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Surveys. Participants included stratified, multistage clustered samples selected from 400 middle schools and 400 high schools annually. Depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts were binary dependent variables (requiring answers of yes or no). A total of 818,684 adolescents were targeted and 788,411 adolescents completed the survey. The prevalence rates of both suicidal ideation and attempts gradually decreased from 23.7% and 5.8%, respectively, in 2007 to 12.1% and 2.6%, respectively, in 2017. Overall, 16.8% of participants had suicidal ideation and 3.9% had suicide attempts during the survey period. During logistic regression analysis, depression was most strongly associated with suicidal ideation (adjusted odds ratio: 5.78 [95% confidence interval: 5.64–5.88]) and suicide attempts (adjusted odds ratio: 5.56, [95% confidence interval: 5.22–5.83]). Despite decreasing trends, the high rate of suicidal behaviors remains a critical public health problem. Depression most strongly predicts suicidal behaviors. Early interventions are essential to treat depression and reduce or prevent suicide.
Family Meal Environment Differentially Conditions the Prospective Association between Early Childhood Screen Time and Key Social Relationships in Adolescent Girls
2024, Children
A Descriptive Examination of International Family/Shared Meals: Prevalence, Meal Types, Media at Meals, and Emotional Well-Being
2024, Families, Systems and Health

View all citing articles on Scopus

: Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The authors' conflict of interest disclosures can be found online with this article on ww.jneb.org.

View full text

Research BriefFamily Meals and Adolescent Emotional Well-Being: Findings From a National Study

Abstract

Objective

Design

Participants

Main Outcome Measures

Analysis

Results

Conclusions and Implications

Introduction

Section snippets

Methods

Results

Discussion

Implications for Research and Practice

Acknowledgments

J Adolesc Health

Lancet

J Nutr Educ Behav

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc Health

Gen Hosp Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Adolesc Health

Are family meals as good for youth as we think they are? A review of the literature on family meals as they pertain to adolescent risk prevention

J Youth Adolesc

A review of family meal influence on adolescents' dietary intake

Can J Diet Pract Res

Family dinner and disordered eating behaviors in a large cohort of adolescents

Eat Disord

Research Brief
Family Meals and Adolescent Emotional Well-Being: Findings From a National Study