Abstract
Objective
To examine the direction and magnitude of the relation between family meal frequency
and dietary and family functioning outcomes in children (aged 2–18 years).
Design
Systematic literature review with meta-analysis.
Methods
Independent electronic searches, 1 for each outcome of interest, were conducted across
5 databases: PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web
of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO. Studies were included if they were peer-reviewed
and published in English in the US through December 2018.
Main Outcome Measures
Diet and family functioning.
Results
Dietary outcomes showed some evidence of a positive association between family meal
frequency and fruits, vegetables, fruits and vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages,
and the Healthy Eating Index. There was less clear evidence of this relation in snacks,
fast food, and desserts. A positive association was found between family meal frequency
or dinner family meal frequency and family functioning outcomes. All studies included
had cross-sectional and longitudinal study designs.
Conclusions and Implications
There is some evidence to show a positive relation between family meal frequency and
dietary outcomes. There is stronger evidence for the relation with family functioning
outcomes. Most articles included in the systematic reviews were excluded from meta-analysis
owing to inadequate data and high methodological diversity across exposure and outcome
variables.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 23, 2020
Accepted:
December 15,
2019
Footnotes
Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The authors have not stated any conflicts of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
