U of M Research Finds Dietary Habits of Young Adults are Positively Influenced by Family Meals During High School

Quality of Diet, Meal Patterns Positively Impacted

MINNEAPOLIS/ST.PAUL (August 30, 2007) – Participation in family meals during the high school years has lasting positive effects on the diets of young adults, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota.

Research published in the September 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that the frequency of family meals during adolescence predicted higher intakes of fruit, vegetables, and key nutrients, as well as lower intakes of soft drinks during young adulthood.

Young adults who reported having seven or more family meals per week as teens ate nearly one additional serving of fruits and vegetables per day in young adulthood than those who reported never eating family meals. Frequent family meals during high school also predicted that the teens, as young adults, would eat breakfast and dinner meals more frequently, as well as a place a high priority on meal structure and social eating.

The study concludes that family meals likely represent an important opportunity for teens to be exposed to healthful food choices and for parents to model healthy eating behaviors. Findings from the study suggest families should make eating together a priority. “Scheduling mealtimes, planning the menu in advance, and working as a team to prepare meals can help get family members together for meals,” suggests Nicole I. Larson, Ph.D., a dietitian and researcher at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health.

Researchers analyzed the survey responses and dietary questionnaires of 1,700 young people in Minnesota high schools from 1998-1999, and again by mail in 2003-2004 as part of the Project EAT (Eating Among Teens) study. The Project EAT study was designed to build a greater understanding of the socio-environmental, personal, and behavioral factors associated with diet and weight-related behaviors during adolescence in order to develop  more effective nutrition interventions.

“The longitudinal findings from this study add to the body of evidence from other Project EAT analyses, which have shown that family meals are cross-sectionally associated with a number of positive outcomes including improved dietary intake, fewer disordered eating behaviors, less substance use, and higher grades in school," notes Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., principal investigator of the Project EAT study.

Data collection was supported by a grant from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition at General Mills, and a training grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.

Contact: Laura Stroup, Academic Health  Center, 612-624-5680, stro0481@umn.edu
Molly Portz, Academic Health Center, 612-625-4680, mportz@umn.edu