A systematic review of the association between family meals and adolescent risk outcomes

Abstract

Objective: To conduct a systematic review of the literature examining the relationship between family meals and adolescent health risk outcomes.

Methods: We performed a systematic search of original empirical studies published between January 1990 and September 2013. Based on data from selected studies, we conducted logistic regression models to examine the correlates of reporting a protective association between frequent family meals and adolescent outcomes.

Results: Of the 254 analyses from 26 selected studies, most reported a significant association between family meals and the adolescent risk outcome-of-interest. However, model analyses which controlled for family connectedness variables, or used advanced empirical methods to account for family-level confounders, were less likely than unadjusted models to report significant relationships.

Conclusions: The type of analysis conducted was significantly associated with the likelihood of finding a protective relationship between family meals and the adolescent outcome-of-interest, yet very few studies are using such methods in the literature.

Keywords: Adolescence; Adolescent behavior; Family dinner; Family meals; Systematic review.