title: Are family meal patterns associated with overall diet quality during the transition from early to middle adolescence?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine longitudinal associations of participation in regular family meals (>or= 5 meals/week) with eating habits and dietary intake during adolescence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based, longitudinal study (Project EAT: Eating Among Teens). Surveys were completed in Minnesota classrooms at Time 1 (1998-1999) and by mail at Time 2 (2003-2004).
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline surveys were completed in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, schools and by mail at follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  677 adolescents (303 males and 374 females) who were in middle school at Time 1 (mean age = 12.8 +/- 0.74 years) and high school at Time 2 (mean age = 17.2 +/- 0.59 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Dietary intake, frequency of meals, and fast-food intake patterns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Generalized linear modeling stratified by gender and adjusted for race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and the Time 1 outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regular family meals were positively associated with Time 2 frequency of breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals for males and breakfast and dinner meals for females. Among males, regular family meals were negatively associated with Time 2 fast-food intake. Regular family meals were also positively associated with Time 2 mean daily intakes of vegetables, calcium-rich food, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, folate, and vitamins A and B(6) among both genders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regular family meals during early adolescence may contribute to the formation of healthful eating habits 5 years later. Parents should be made aware of the importance of shared mealtime experiences.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. tchampou@umn.edu
authors.forename: Teri L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Burgess-Champoux
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Dianne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neumark-Sztainer
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hannan
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Story
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution