Family meal patterns: Associations with sociodemographic characteristics and improved dietary intake among adolescents

Mar 5, 2003Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Family meal habits linked to social factors and healthier eating in teenagers

AI simplified

Abstract

Among 4,746 adolescents, 40.1% reported having family meals 3 to 6 times in the previous week.

  • Frequency of family meals is associated with sociodemographic factors such as being a boy, attending middle school, being Asian American, having a non-employed mother, and coming from a higher socioeconomic status.
  • More frequent family meals correlate with increased intake of fruits, vegetables, grains, and calcium-rich foods.
  • There is a negative association between family meal frequency and soft drink consumption.
  • Higher frequency of family meals is linked to greater overall energy, protein, calcium, iron, folate, fiber, and vitamins A, C, E, and B-6 intake.

AI simplified

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

what lands in your inbox each week:

  • 📚7 fresh studies
  • 📝plain-language summaries
  • direct links to original studies
  • 🏅top journal indicators
  • 📅weekly delivery
  • 🧘‍♂️always free