Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2008 Oct 23;5:50. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-5-50.
Previous research has documented the positive effects of family meals on the dietary quality of adolescents. The objective of the current study is to examine associations between frequency of family meals and body mass index (BMI), other aspects of the home food environment, and related nutrition behaviors.
Data were collected during baseline measurements of the Pacific Obesity Prevention In Communities study. In total, 3245 ethnically diverse students completed a questionnaire about their nutrition behaviors and were weighed and measured for height.
In total, 42% of adolescents ate a family meal on all of the previous five school nights. Frequency of family meals was modestly associated with BMI in bivariate analysis (p = 0.045), but lost significance when demographic characteristics were included in the model. Frequency of family meals was associated with many positive aspects of home food environment and positive nutrition behaviors, including parental support for healthy eating, limits on television use, having fruit available at home, consuming five fruits and vegetables a day, eating breakfast, and bringing lunch from home. Surprisingly, no relationships were observed between frequency of family meals and accessibility and consumption of many high fat/high sugar foods.
Our findings suggest that the positive effect of family meals may reflect an overall positive home food environment. Families who have meals together have more healthful foods available at home and support their child in eating healthfully. There were no relationships between family meals and high fat/high sugar foods; this suggest that while families may prioritize eating together, messages about limiting the availability and consumption of these snack foods are not getting through.
先前的研究记录了家庭用餐对青少年饮食质量的积极影响。本研究的目的是检验家庭用餐频率与体重指数（BMI）、家庭食品环境的其他方面以及相关营养行为之间的关联。
数据来自太平洋肥胖预防社区研究的基线测量期间收集。共有 3245 名族裔多样的学生完成了一份关于他们营养行为的问卷，并称重和测量身高。
共有 42%的青少年在前五个上学日的所有晚上都吃家庭餐。家庭用餐频率在单变量分析中与 BMI 有适度关联（p=0.045），但在纳入模型的人口统计学特征时失去了意义。家庭用餐频率与家庭食品环境的许多积极方面和积极的营养行为相关，包括父母对健康饮食的支持、限制看电视、家中有水果、每天食用五份水果和蔬菜、吃早餐和从家里带午餐。令人惊讶的是，家庭用餐频率与许多高脂肪/高糖食品的可及性和消费之间没有关系。
我们的发现表明，家庭用餐的积极影响可能反映了整体积极的家庭食品环境。一起用餐的家庭在家中提供更多健康食品，并支持孩子健康饮食。家庭用餐与高脂肪/高糖食品之间没有关系；这表明，尽管家庭可能优先考虑一起用餐，但关于限制这些零食食品的供应和消费的信息并没有被传达。
