The Family Meal Framework: A grounded theory study conceptualising the work that underpins the family meal

Is family meal frequency associated with obesity in children and adolescents? A cross-sectional study including 155 451 participants from 43 countries

OBJECTIVE

This study tried to examine the association between the frequency of family meals and excess weight using large and representative samples of children and adolescents from 43 countries.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC), which included nationally representative samples of children and adolescents aged 10-17 years, involving a total of 155 451 participants (mean age = 13.6 years; standard deviation [SD] = 1.6; 51.4% girls). Family meal frequency was gauged through the following question: 'How frequently do you and your family typically share meals?' The possible responses were: 'never', 'less often', 'approximately once a week', 'most days' and 'every day'. The body weight and height of the participants were self-reported and utilized to calculate body mass index (BMI). Subsequently, BMI z-scores were computed based on the International Obesity Task Force criteria, and the prevalence of excess weight was defined as +1.31 SD for boys and + 1.24 SD for girls, with obesity defined as +2.29 SD for boys and + 2.19 SD for girls. Generalized linear mixed models were conducted to examine the associations between the frequency of family meals and excess weight or obesity.

RESULTS

The lowest predicted probabilities of having excess weight and obesity were observed for those participants who had family meals every day (excess weight: 34.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 31.4%-37.5%; obesity: 10.8%, 95% CI 9.0%-13.0%).

CONCLUSIONS

A higher frequency of family meals is associated with lower odds of having excess weight and obesity in children and adolescents.

Interaction as the foundation for eating practices in shared mealtimes

Mealtimes shared with other people define how, what, how much, and with whom we eat. On such occasions, whether in private or public spaces, and as formal or informal events, our eating practices are inseparable from our interactions with other people. In this Editorial for the Special Issue on Interactional approaches to eating together and shared mealtimes, we provide an overview of the interdisciplinary field of research on eating together and shared mealtimes to illustrate the breadth and depth of work that has been developed in this area to date. The overview is divided into three broad clusters of research that focus primarily on (1) cultural or societal aspects, (2) individual outcomes, or (3) interactional practices. Commonalities across these clusters are discussed, the need for more research across a greater global and cultural diversity of eating practices is highlighted, and the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration on research on eating together and shared mealtimes across diverse scientific disciplines is explored. The papers in this Special Issue showcase a sample of contemporary work from within the cluster of research on interactional practices, and a brief overview of these papers is discussed. Finally, it is argued that as a common area of interest, social interaction as the foundation of eating practices within shared mealtimes poses considerable potential for interdisciplinary collaboration across scientific disciplines, and between scientists, professionals, and participants from the study populations.

Higher Numbers of Family Meals and Social Eating Behavior Are Associated with Greater Self-Esteem among Adolescents: The EHDLA

BACKGROUND

the aim of this study was to assess the associations of family meals and social eating behavior with self-esteem levels among Spanish adolescents.

METHODS

This was a secondary cross-sectional study including 706 participants (aged 12 to 17 years; 56.1% girls) from the Eating Habits and Daily Life Activities (EHDLA) study. The evaluation of the frequency of family meals involved participants providing information in physical education classes on how frequently they, along with other members of their household, had shared meals in the previous week. Social eating behavior was assessed by three different statements: "I usually have dinner with others", "Having at least one meal a day with others (family or friends) is important to me", and "I enjoy sitting down with family or friends for a meal". To assess overall self-esteem, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used.

RESULTS

In the adjusted models, a positive association was observed between the frequency of family meals and the self-esteem score (unstandardized beta coefficient [B] = 0.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.003 to 0.12, p-adjusted = 0.040). Furthermore, the same positive association was also identified between social eating behavior and the self-esteem score (B = 0.23; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.40, p-adjusted = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Although self-esteem is complex and can be influenced by numerous factors, both family meals and social eating behavior may exert a relevant role in adolescents. Encouraging consistent participation in family meals and promoting positive eating practices could be valuable approaches in public health actions targeting the enhancement of self-esteem levels in adolescents.

Exploring unequal class logics of mealtime food socialisation. An ethnography of family meals in France and Australia

Regular family mealtimes are occasions to model food consumption and have been associated with health and well-being benefits for children. This study aimed to investigate children's mealtime food socialisation in socially diverse households. Nine families from France and five from Australia were recruited, ranging from lower middle-class to upper-class positions, with children mostly between the ages of five to eight. The data is composed of the observations of 47 mealtimes and semi-directive interviews with both parents. The results showed that food socialisation and parents' understanding of children's taste development were linked to the household's social class position as well as to the temporal, cognitive and emotional resources parents possessed at mealtimes, in a similar manner across France and Australia. The more capital and resources the parents had, the more they were able to perform an intensive food socialisation style, which led them to prepare balanced menus and get children to eat the food served. The less capital and resources the parents had, the more they engaged in a hands-off food socialisation style, leading them to serve more child-oriented and less diverse menus. Importantly, all parents strived to serve healthy food, but limited resources prevented some of them from doing so. These food socialisation styles were also connected to the development of different social skills in children: with the intensive model, children were closely managed by their parents at the table but also learnt negotiation skills, whereas with the hands-off style, children learnt to be quite autonomous in their eating. The findings presented here contribute to Hays' intensive mothering concept and to Lareau's class-based parenting models. They also challenge Bourdieu's differentiation between a taste of necessity and a taste of luxury.

Home-delivered meal boxes in a family setting: a qualitative study investigating reasons for use and perceived impact on meal practices

BACKGROUND

Cooking and consuming a homemade meal is associated with health benefits. Home-delivered meal boxes can support families in cooking this fresh meal. The current study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the determinants of meal box use, and of the perceived impact on meal practices of parents with younger (i.e., aged 6-12 years) and older children (i.e., 13-18 years).

METHODS

Four focus groups were conducted (n = 19); two with parents of younger children, and two with parents of older children. A semi-structured interview guide was developed and interviews were recorded and transcribed. Reflexive thematic analysis was performed using NVivo 1.4.

RESULTS

Most parents mentioned practical reasons like saving time and money, as well as inspiration, as reasons to choose a home-delivered meal box. Also, tastiness and menu variation were often mentioned as determining factors by both parent groups. However, a few parents stated to stop using the meal boxes because of returning menus or too small portion sizes. Meal box providers were chosen based on the price, the freshness and the quality of the products. Moreover, positive effects on parents' perceived cooking skills and knowledge were reported. Also, some parents mentioned positively changed attitudes towards vegetarian dishes. Lastly, parents reported healthier eating due to more appropriate portion sizes and more vegetables. A prominent difference between parent groups was that older children played a role in continuing the use of meal boxes, and helped to prepare the meals (contrary to younger children).

CONCLUSIONS

Home-delivered meal boxes might be promising to enhance families' meal practices. This study could inform social marketeers and health promotors to adopt an optimal strategy to reach families.

Barriers and enablers to the family meal across time; a grounded theory study comparing South Australian parents' perspectives

Family meals are positively associated with numerous beneficial health and social outcomes. Current discourse however claims that parents are faced with numerous barriers when trying to bring the family together to share a meal. Solutions for overcoming barriers to a positive shared family meal are often individualistic and do not address the systemic pressures and burdens families have faced for decades. The aim of this study was to explore the systemic and novel barriers and enablers to shared family meals as experienced by families across time. To achieve this, a qualitative study informed by grounded theory was conducted. Parents of South Australian families were recruited and interviewed in the 1990s, and a new sample of parents were recruited and interviewed in 2020. Transcripts were analysed using grounded theory and comparative analysis methods. Thirty-two parents from 16 families were interviewed in the 1990s, and 22 parents from 10 families in 2020. Ten factors were identified presenting as either enablers or barriers to the family meal, depending on the context they were experienced. Barriers and enablers were largely consistent across time. Scheduling and flexibility, children's disruptions and children's independence, privileges required to have family meals and motivation and commitment to the family meal were identified as persistent enablers and barriers across time. These findings indicate that parents are faced with similar challenges they have been facing for decades and are still not being adequately supported to execute family meals regularly. Recognising that factors present as either barriers or enablers to the family meal provides us with opportunities to transform barriers to enablers and support families to have regular, meaningful family meals.

The contribution of Australian fathers in getting food on the table among families with young children

OBJECTIVE

To explore how fathers with young children contributed to healthy home food provisioning and the factors enabling or inhibiting their involvement in family food tasks.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study using purpose-designed online survey. The survey assessed the level of responsibilities and practices in family food tasks, food agency (Cooking and Food Provisioning Action Scale), and use of resources to support involvement in family food tasks. Data collection took place over 3 weeks in November-December 2020 when various COVID-19-related restrictions were in place. Descriptive and regression analyses were used to assess psychosocial factors influencing responsibilities in family food tasks and food agency.

SETTING

Online survey.

PARTICIPANTS

Included in the analysis were 435 Australian fathers with children aged under 5 years.

RESULTS

Between 75 and 77 % of fathers in this study reported having at least half of the responsibilities in meal planning, shopping, and cooking. Health was frequently considered when deciding what to eat, but few used nutrition or food labels when shopping, tried new recipes or modified recipes to make them healthier. Involvement in family food tasks was promoted by a higher food agency, but time spent in employment was a significant barrier to reported food agency and greater involvement in food tasks. There was a high interest in resources to support healthy home food provisioning.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest the need to consider father-specific strategies to overcome time barriers and opportunities to enhance their capabilities for healthy home food provisioning.

The Analysis of Residents' Intention to Consume Pre-Made Dishes in China: A Grounded Theory

The demand for pre-made dishes has increased in China. However, a detailed understanding of residents' intention to consume pre-made dishes is lacking in the existing studies. This research aims to investigate the consumer motives and intention to consume pre-made dishes. Through in-depth interviews and analysis, this research explores the factors influencing the residents' intention along the research steps of grounded theory. Fifty-one residents participated in semi-structured interviews via face-to-face or online interviews. Three motives for purchasing pre-made dishes were attitude, subjective norm, and perceived control. These were influenced by external factors, including environmental features and product features. Subjective characteristics are pre-existing characteristics of individuals themselves, including cooking skills, food skills, housework allocation, and eating attitudes, which play a moderating role in the relationship between external factors and consumer motives. Based on the six major categories, this study built a model of the formation mechanism of the consumer intention to consume pre-made dishes. It revealed the psychological attribution of residents' consumption of pre-made dishes. The finding of this study contributes to the understanding of the internal logic of PMDs' consumer intention formation. It would be a guide for researchers to map out appropriate business development strategies, and provide evidence for the government in formulating management policies.

The family meal, a ritual frozen in time; an Australian grounded theory study

Family meals are recognized as an opportunity to promote the health of families. Popular discourse posits that changes to contemporary family life have made family meals harder to achieve and promotion of the 'traditional' family meal may be adding pressures to contemporary families. While research has been conducted on family meals over the last three decades, there is no explicit investigation of the experiences and practices of family meals over this time. Understanding the evolution of family meal practices across time is important for developing achievable expectations in relation to this ritual. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a diverse population of South Australian parents in the 1990s (n = 32) and with a separate population of parents in 2020 (n = 22) to gather their experiences of family meal practices. A comparative analysis, informed by grounded theory, was undertaken to identify similarities and differences in experiences across these two time periods. The results indicated stability in many family meal experiences across time, particularly in their value and significance in family life. Negotiations balancing time, cost, food preferences and responsibility persisted. The stability of family meal values and practices is important to consider when making recommendations, designing interventions and creating services targeting the family meal.