U of M Research Finds Frequency of Family Meals Associated with Lower Odds of Substance Abuse in Adolescent Girls

MINNEAPOLIS/ ST. PAUL (July 22, 2008) —  University of Minnesota Project Eating Among Teens II (Project EAT) researchers found that adolescent girls who frequently eat meals with their families are less likely to smoke cigarettes, consume alcohol, and use marijuana according to Marla Eisenberg, Sc.D., M.P.H., assistant professor in the Medical School and lead author of this study.

Eisenberg and Project EAT colleagues studied 806 adolescent middle-school students at public schools in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Participants were surveyed at two time points five years apart regarding how often they ate with their family, as well as how often they had used cigarettes, alcohol, or marijuana.

Girls who reported at least five family meals per week had approximately half the odds of reporting regular use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana during their high school years compared with teen girls whose families did not have regular meals, even after accounting for earlier substance use and their general family dynamic. This was true for girls who reported both strong and poor relationships with their parents, suggesting that regular family meals may offer some protection against initiation of substance use.

“This study adds to the mounting evidence of the benefits of family meals for adolescents by looking at the development of substance use over five years,” Eisenberg said. “The findings also raise interesting questions about how males and females may experience family meals differently and what might be behind the different results for boys and girls.”

This study reinforces the notion that family meals are a valuable protective factor in the lives of young people. Previous Project EAT studies have shown that family meals may provide more benefits for females than males, as adolescent girls are less likely to use extreme measures to control their weight five years later; watching TV during family meals negatively influences teens’ diets; and, the dietary habits of young adults are positively influenced by family meals during youth.Regular family meals increase the opportunity for discussions about high-risk behavior, such as substance abuse as well as increased parental monitoring.

This Project EAT research was funded by grants from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services.The article, “Family Meals and Substance Use: Is There a Long-Term

Protective Association?” will appear in the August issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

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: Melissa Ritter, Academic Health Center, 612-626-4784 or ritt0114@umn.edu
Molly Portz, Academic Health Center, 612-625-2640 or mportz@umn.edu