title: The associations of meals and snacks on family meals among a sample of grade 7 students from Southwestern Ontario.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research has shown the positive associations of family meals and diet quality. However, little is known about how other meals/snacks may be associated with family meals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose was to determine the associations among the frequency and calorie consumption of meals/snacks and family dinners.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional. Data were collected using Web-based Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (WEB-Q), including a 24-h diet recall for breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and evening snack. Measured height and weight were used to determine body weight status (BMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 1068 grade 7 students (52% males) from 26 schools in Windsor Essex County, Ontario, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  Meal, snack, and total daily caloric intake; meal and snack frequency; with whom dinner was consumed, and weekly family dinner frequency.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exploratory one-way ANOVAs and chi-square tests; nominal and ordinal logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-three percent of participants consumed dinner with family members on the night prior to the survey and 77% reported usually consuming dinner/supper with at least one parent on six to seven nights/week. Those who had dinner with family members consumed 4.88 (SD 1.1) meals/snacks per day compared with 4.40 (SD 1.3) and 4.40 (SD 1.3) times/day for consuming dinner alone or with friends, respectively (p=0.006). On the day prior to the survey, participants were less likely to consume a family meal if they consumed a lower number of meals and snacks per day (OR=0.69 (95% CI: 0.55, 0.87), p<0.001). Similarly, participants were less likely to consume regular family meals if they consumed a lower number of meals and snacks per day (OR=0.84 (95% CI: 0.74, 0.96), p=0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While specific meals and snacks were not associated with family dinner, overall eating frequency was positively associated with family meals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada. Electronic address: woodruff@uwindsor.ca.
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Woodruff
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, St. Clair College, 2000 Talbot Road West, Windsor, ON N9A 6S4, Canada.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada.
authors.forename: Ty
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cole
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D002149:Energy Intake; D005190:Family; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals; D009864:Ontario; D062410:Snacks; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Eating frequency; Family meals; Young adolescents