Litterbach Eloise-Kate V, Campbell Karen J, Spence Alison C
Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, 3125, Burwood, VIC, Australia.
BMC Public Health. 2017 Jan 24;17(1):111. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-3960-6.
Evidence suggests that family meals influence food intakes and behaviours, which in turn impact children's eating habits, diets and health. Mealtimes therefore offer potential as settings for health promotion. Given diet, health behaviours and health are often socioeconomically patterned, it is important to consider whether family meals differ by socioeconomic position (SEP).
The Family Meals with Young Kids study was an online survey completed by parents in 2014. Mealtime characteristics measured included; frequency of shared meals across the day, duration and location of mealtimes, parental modelling, and parental perceived importance of the evening meal. Maternal education was used to assess SEP. The aims of this study were to describe family meal characteristics among Australian families with children aged six months to six years and to describe the socioeconomic patterning of these.
Participants (n = 992) were mostly mothers (97%) with a university degree (71%). The evening meal was the most frequently reported meal eaten together with the responding parent and child (77% ≥ five nights/week). Snacks were least commonly eaten together (39% ≥ five days/week). The frequency of having everyone present for the evening meal was inversely associated with SEP (OR 0.70, CI 0.54-0.92). Parent rated importance of family meals was generally high and positively associated with higher SEP (OR 1.32, CI 1.00-1.76). Most children consumed breakfast (73%), lunch (58%) and dinner (82%) sitting at a table or bench and this was positively associated with higher SEP for all meal types (OR 1.61-2.37, p < 0.05). Increased television (TV) viewing during meals was inversely associated with SEP (OR 0.63, CI 0.54-0.72). Less than half of children (36%) watched TV during meals more than once a day.
Australian families engage in many healthy mealtime behaviours. Evidence that parents share meals with children and place high value on mealtimes with children provides important opportunities for promoting healthy behaviours in families. The choice of eating location and the practice of viewing TV during mealtimes are examples of two such opportunities. Socioeconomic patterning of the location of mealtimes and TV viewing during meals may contribute to socioeconomic differences in dietary intakes and may be important targets for future health promotion.
有证据表明家庭聚餐会影响食物摄入量和行为，进而影响儿童的饮食习惯、饮食结构和健康状况。因此，用餐时间具有作为健康促进场所的潜力。鉴于饮食、健康行为和健康状况往往存在社会经济模式差异，考虑家庭聚餐是否因社会经济地位（SEP）不同而存在差异很重要。
“与幼儿共进家庭餐”研究是2014年由家长完成的一项在线调查。所测量的用餐时间特征包括：一天中共同用餐的频率、用餐时间的长短和地点、父母的示范作用以及父母对晚餐的重视程度。以母亲的教育程度来评估社会经济地位。本研究的目的是描述有6个月至6岁孩子的澳大利亚家庭的家庭用餐特征，并描述这些特征的社会经济模式。
参与者（n = 992）大多是母亲（97%），拥有大学学历（71%）。晚餐是与做出回应的家长和孩子一起用餐最频繁的一餐（77%≥每周五个晚上）。零食一起吃的情况最不常见（39%≥每周五天）。全家人一起吃晚餐的频率与社会经济地位呈负相关（比值比0.70，可信区间0.54 - 0.92）。家长对家庭聚餐的重视程度普遍较高，且与较高的社会经济地位呈正相关（比值比1.32，可信区间1.00 - 1.76）。大多数孩子吃早餐（73%）、午餐（58%）和晚餐（82%）时是坐在餐桌或长椅上，这与所有餐食类型的较高社会经济地位呈正相关（比值比1.61 - 2.37，p < 0.05）。用餐时看电视时间增加与社会经济地位呈负相关（比值比0.63，可信区间0.54 - 0.72）。不到一半的孩子（36%）每天用餐时看电视超过一次。
澳大利亚家庭有许多健康的用餐行为。父母与孩子一起用餐并高度重视与孩子共进餐食的证据为在家庭中促进健康行为提供了重要机会。用餐地点的选择和用餐时看电视的行为就是这样的两个机会的例子。用餐时间地点和用餐时看电视的社会经济模式可能导致饮食摄入量的社会经济差异，可能是未来健康促进的重要目标。
