Family meals and disordered eating in adolescents: longitudinal findings from project EAT.
OBJECTIVE
To examine 5-year longitudinal associations between family meal frequency and disordered eating behaviors in adolescents.


METHODS
Longitudinal study.


METHODS
Participants from 31 Minnesota schools completed in-class assessments in 1999 (time 1) and mailed surveys in 2004 (time 2).


METHODS
Adolescents (N=2516) who completed Project EAT (Eating Among Teens)-I (time 1) and -II (time 2) assessments.


METHODS
Time 1 family meal frequency and time 2 disordered eating behaviors, including extreme weight control behaviors (self-induced vomiting and use of laxatives, diet pills, or diuretics), less extreme unhealthy weight control behaviors (eating very little, fasting, using food substitutes, skipping meals, or smoking), binge eating, and chronic dieting.


RESULTS
Among adolescent girls, time 1 regular family meals (> or = 5 meals/wk) were associated with lower prevalences of time 2 extreme weight control behaviors (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.97), even after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index, family connectedness, parental encouragement to diet, and extreme weight control behaviors at time 1. Associations with other disordered eating behaviors were also suggestive of a protective effect of family meals in unadjusted analyses but were not statistically significant in adjusted analyses. Among adolescent boys, regular family meals did not predict lower levels of disordered eating behaviors.


CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of disordered eating behaviors among adolescent girls and the protective role of family meals suggest a need for interventions aimed at promoting family meals. Further exploration of predictors of disordered eating behaviors in adolescent boys and the role of family meals is warranted.
Neumark-Sztainer
Dianne
D
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S Second St, Ste 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. neumark@epi.umn.edu
Eisenberg
Marla E
ME
Fulkerson
Jayne A
JA
Story
Mary
M
Larson
Nicole I
NI
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002648:Child; D005195:Family Relations; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors