Associations between perceived family meal environment and parent intake of fruit, vegetables, and fat.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the family mealtime environment and assess associations with adult fruit, vegetable, and fat intake.


METHODS
Telephone survey.


METHODS
A convenience sample of 277 adults in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area were recruited through 4 schools. The sample was 85% female and 70% married. The mean number of children in the household was 2.6 (range 1 to 9).


METHODS
Adult fruit and vegetable intake, fat intake, and perceptions of the mealtime environment.


METHODS
Descriptive and mixed-model linear regression.


RESULTS
Participants reported that the television was frequently on during dinner meals and almost one third felt that their family was too busy to eat dinner together. A higher frequency of television viewing during dinner was associated with lower fruit and vegetable consumption and higher fat consumption. Planning meals in advance was associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption; however, 46% of the adults did not plan meals in advance. Arguments concerning eating behavior during dinner were associated with higher fat consumption.


CONCLUSIONS
The family meal environment is associated with adult eating patterns and should be considered when designing nutrition messages for families.
Boutelle
Kerri N
KN
Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis MN 55454, USA. boutelle@umn.edu
Birnbaum
Amanda S
AS
Lytle
Leslie A
LA
Murray
David M
DM
Story
Mary
M
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004777:Environment; D005195:Family Relations; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D013690:Television; D014675:Vegetables
D004041:Dietary Fats