Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN 55455, USA.
J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013 Jun;113(6):816-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2013.02.004. Epub 2013 Apr 6.
The last decade of research has suggested that family meals play an important role in promoting healthful dietary intake in youth. However, little is known about the structural characteristics and interpersonal dynamics of family meals that might help to inform why family meals are protective for youth. The current mixed methods, cross-sectional study conducted in 2010-2011 includes adolescents and parents who participated in two linked population-based studies. Participants included 40 parents (91.5% female) and adolescents (57.5% female) from the Minneapolis/St Paul, MN, area participating in EAT (Eating and Activity Among Teens) 2010 and F-EAT (Families and Eating and Activity Among Teens). The structural (eg, length of the meal, types of foods served) and interpersonal characteristics (eg, communication, emotion/affect management) of family meals were described, and associations between interpersonal dynamics at family meals and adolescent body mass index and dietary intake were examined via direct observational methods. Families were videorecorded during two mealtimes in their homes. Results indicated that family meals were approximately 20 minutes in length, included multiple family members, were typically served family style (70%), and occurred in the kitchen 62% of the time and 38% of the time in another room (eg, family room, office). In addition, significant associations were found between positive interpersonal dynamics (ie, communication, affect management, interpersonal involvement, overall family functioning) at family meals and lower adolescent body mass index and higher vegetable intake. These findings add to the growing body of literature on family meals by providing a better understanding of what is happening at family meals in order to inform obesity-prevention studies and recommendations for providers working with families of youth.
过去十年的研究表明，家庭聚餐在促进青少年健康饮食方面发挥着重要作用。然而，对于能够解释家庭聚餐为何对青少年具有保护作用的家庭聚餐的结构特征和人际动态，我们知之甚少。本研究于 2010 年至 2011 年期间开展，采用混合方法、横断面设计，包括参与两项基于人群的研究的青少年及其父母。研究对象来自明尼阿波利斯/圣保罗地区的青少年（57.5%为女性）和父母（91.5%为女性），他们参与了 EAT（青少年饮食和活动）2010 年研究和 F-EAT（家庭与青少年饮食和活动）研究。采用直接观察方法描述了家庭聚餐的结构（例如，用餐时间、供应的食物类型）和人际特征（例如，沟通、情绪/情感管理），并探讨了家庭聚餐中的人际动态与青少年体重指数和饮食摄入之间的关系。通过家庭视频记录了两次家庭聚餐。结果表明，家庭聚餐时长约为 20 分钟，通常有多名家庭成员参加，多采用家庭式用餐（70%），62%的用餐发生在厨房，38%的用餐发生在另一个房间（例如，家庭活动室、办公室）。此外，家庭聚餐中的积极人际动态（即沟通、情感管理、人际参与、整体家庭功能）与青少年体重指数较低和蔬菜摄入量较高显著相关。这些发现丰富了家庭聚餐的文献，更好地了解家庭聚餐中发生的情况，为肥胖预防研究和为青少年家庭提供的建议提供了信息。
