Associations between watching TV during family meals and dietary intake among adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To examine associations between watching television during family meals and dietary intake among adolescents.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study using survey data from a diverse sample of adolescents.


METHODS
Data were collected from a school-based survey during the 1998-1999 school year.


METHODS
Middle and high school students (N = 4746) from 31 public schools in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Response rate was 81.5%.


METHODS
Intake of fruits, total vegetables, dark green/yellow vegetables, calcium-rich food, grains, soft drinks, fried food, snack food, calories, family meal frequency, and watching television during meals.


METHODS
General linear modeling comparing dietary intake across 3 groups.


RESULTS
33.5% of boys and 30.9% of girls reported watching television during family meals. Adolescents watching television were found to have lower intakes of vegetables, dark green/yellow vegetables, calcium-rich food, and grains and higher intakes of soft drinks compared to adolescents not watching television during meals. However, watching television during family meals was associated with a more healthful diet than not eating regular family meals.


CONCLUSIONS
Watching television during family meals was associated with poorer dietary quality among adolescents. Health care providers should work with families and adolescents to promote family meals, emphasizing turning the TV off at meals.
Feldman
Shira
S
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, USA. feld0111@umn.edu
Eisenberg
Marla E
ME
Neumark-Sztainer
Dianne
D
Story
Mary
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*